Pressures Mounting on UK Scholarly Communication

Academic publishing in the United Kingdom has long served as a cornerstone of research dissemination and career advancement. Yet recent years have seen intensifying debates around how the system values outputs and compensates those who maintain its quality. With submission volumes rising and reviewer pools strained, institutions and funders are examining new approaches, including trials that compensate peer reviewers financially.

UK higher education providers face unique pressures. The Research Excellence Framework, managed by Research England on behalf of the four UK funding bodies, allocates around £2 billion annually in quality-related research funding based on expert peer review of outputs. This process underscores the central role of peer assessment in determining institutional resources and individual reputations.

Publications as Career Currency in UK Academia

Across UK universities, the phrase "papers as currency" captures a widespread perception that journal articles function primarily as tokens for promotion, tenure, grant success and institutional rankings. Researchers often describe strategic choices about where to submit work, prioritising outlets that count most heavily in the Research Excellence Framework or in assessments by bodies such as UK Research and Innovation.

This incentive structure has contributed to high submission rates and reviewer fatigue. Cambridge University Press’s 2025 report "Publishing Futures" surveyed more than 3,000 researchers, funders, librarians and publishers across 120 countries and found that only 33 per cent believed current academic reward and recognition systems work well. Sixty-four per cent said these systems fail to recognise contributions beyond articles in established journals, including peer review itself.

Experiments with Compensated Peer Review

Several journals have tested paying reviewers to address delays and workload issues. One prominent example is advances.in/psychology, launched in 2022 by editor-in-chief Jonas R. Kunst. The open-access journal charges authors an article processing charge of £1,950 upon acceptance and uses part of that revenue to pay reviewers $100 (£75) and editors for their work.

Early results from such trials have been encouraging. In one reported experiment, paid reviews averaged 4.6 business days compared with 38 days for unpaid reviews, with editors reporting no discernible difference in quality. Similar small-scale pilots in the natural sciences have shown faster turnaround times without compromising standards.

While these initiatives remain limited in scale, they have sparked broader discussion within UK higher education about whether modest compensation could alleviate the peer-review crisis affecting journals that publish work from British researchers.

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Impacts on Researchers and Institutions

For early-career academics at UK universities, the pressure to publish frequently can overshadow other scholarly activities. The "publish or perish" dynamic is felt acutely in disciplines where the Research Excellence Framework places heavy weight on journal outputs.

Institutions such as the University of Cambridge and University College London have seen internal discussions about how to balance quantity and quality. Some departments are exploring ways to credit peer review and mentoring in promotion criteria, aligning with recommendations in the Cambridge University Press report.

Funders including UK Research and Innovation have also examined peer-review processes for grant applications, commissioning reviews of interventions that could reduce burden while maintaining rigour.

Stakeholder Perspectives Across the Sector

UK researchers express mixed views. Many welcome faster decisions but worry that payment could introduce bias or favour well-resourced institutions able to cover article processing charges. Others argue that recognising peer review as paid professional work would improve participation and equity.

Publishers note that commercial models already generate substantial revenue; redirecting a portion to reviewers is presented as a structural fix rather than an added cost. Librarians and research offices highlight risks of widening divides between well-funded and less-resourced universities.

Professional bodies and learned societies in the UK have begun convening roundtables to explore sustainable models that preserve the voluntary ethos while addressing workload concerns.

Equity, Cost and Quality Considerations

Paying reviewers raises questions about who ultimately bears the cost. Article processing charges are often covered by institutional funds or research grants, potentially disadvantaging researchers without such support. Equity concerns are particularly salient for scholars in lower-income countries or at smaller UK institutions.

Quality safeguards remain essential. Experiments to date suggest that modest payments do not reduce report quality, but scaling the approach would require clear standards and oversight to prevent any perception of "pay-to-publish" influence.

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Reform Proposals and Sector Responses

The Cambridge University Press report calls for peer review to be formally recognised in academic reward structures, supported by training and embedded in progression criteria. It advocates collective action among universities, funders and publishers to move beyond volume-based metrics.

Some UK universities are piloting changes to internal evaluation frameworks, giving greater weight to peer-review contributions and open-science practices. Research England continues to refine the Research Excellence Framework for 2029, with ongoing consultation on how best to assess research quality and impact.

Modular publishing platforms and preprint servers are also gaining traction, offering alternatives that decouple dissemination from traditional journal prestige.

Looking Ahead: Sustainable Models for UK Research

As the 2026 academic year progresses, UK higher education faces a pivotal moment. Continued experimentation with compensated peer review, alongside broader reforms to reward systems, could help restore balance between knowledge dissemination and career incentives.

Success will depend on collaboration. Universities, UK Research and Innovation, Research England and publishers must work together to ensure any changes enhance rigour, accessibility and fairness. The goal remains a publishing ecosystem that values all contributions to scholarly communication while supporting the next generation of researchers.

Further reading on related developments can be found in reports from Cambridge University Press and coverage in specialist higher-education media.