Author: Ed Hollox
Position: PI
Institution: University of Leicester
E-mail: ejh33@le.ac.uk
Submitted Date: May 01, 2007
Published Date: May 4, 2007
This comment was originally posted as a “Reader Response” on the publication date indicated above. All Reader Responses are now available as comments.

I think giving incentives to reviewers is a good idea, ideally as a small payment. But punishing slow reviewers? Editorial boards often demand 14 days or even 7 days turnaround on scientists who are very busy.
And, as a younger faculty member, I very much appreciate constructive reviews, even if they take a week longer. It is much better for my science, and my state of mind, if a paper is rejected with thoughtful constructive criticism rather than a blanket "no". And if it is accepted, surely we can wait an extra week or two? Fast-moving though science is, not everyone has huge labs poised to churn out masses of data at the nod of a PI. Small labs are surely more limited by the availability of money and interruptions of funding, than by the time it takes to review a manuscript.