Deferred Acceptance Algorithm Improves Peer Review Process

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that implementing the Deferred Acceptance Algorithm in peer review can maintain match quality while significantly reducing review effort and publication delays, optimizing the scientific review process.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of the Deferred Acceptance Algorithm to peer review, improving efficiency and reducing delays compared to traditional methods.

Findings

Match quality is maintained with DAA

Review effort is significantly reduced

Publication delays are decreased

Abstract

The peer review process is essential to the success of science, but it also delays publications and absorbs considerable effort. Journals find it increasingly difficult to recruit competent reviewers. This study presents the results of agent-based simulation that models the current peer review process. We compared it to the simulation of a new peer review process that uses the Deferred Acceptance Algorithm (DAA) to match papers to journals. The matches are just as good while dramatically reducing the required number of reviews and delays. The results show that it is possible for the scientific community to significantly optimise the peer review process.