Achieving Year-End Budget Goals Through Effective Reviewer Selection 

Client Background & Challenge 

As the fiscal year drew to a close, our client faced the urgent need to meet their annual budget targets. They had a significant volume of content – over 700 research articles – ready within their journal; however, due to limited internal resources, a backlog had developed at the critical ‘select and invite reviewers’ stage. The client needed a streamlined, reliable solution to clear this bottleneck and ensure articles progressed through the peer review process in a timely way. 

The Solution We Implemented 

Following discussions with the client, we collaborated to design a structured reviewer selection programme tailored to their needs. Our approach involved: 

1. Dedicated Editorial Support: PA EDitorial deployed a team of over 10 experienced managing editors to focus on the client’s journal articles. 

2. Reviewer Selection Criteria: We developed rigorous reviewer selection criteria to ensure quality and relevance in reviewer invitations. 

3. Process Tracking: A comprehensive tracker spreadsheet was created to monitor article progress, track reviewer invitations, and oversee deadlines. 

Our team was tasked with selecting and inviting up to 30 potential reviewers per article, ensuring each review invitation aligned with the client’s quality standards. A project timeline of six weeks was established to meet the client’s tight deadline, alongside individual submission deadlines for each review. 

Results 

Thanks to the structured reviewer selection programme and the dedicated efforts of PA EDitorial’s managing editors, we successfully selected and invited suitable reviewers for 82% of the articles within the given timeframe. This achievement allowed our client to clear the majority of their backlog, meet their year-end deadline and reach their budget targets. 

Following the initiative, the remaining articles continued through the usual editorial process, with the reduced backlog allowing editors to dedicate more time and attention to each paper. This helped the team progress the outstanding articles more efficiently while maintaining the quality and consistency of the editorial process. 

Key Takeaways 

• Efficiency & Scalability: The structured process and dedicated team enabled the efficient handling of a high volume of articles. 

• Collaboration & Customisation: Tailoring the solution to the client’s needs was instrumental in achieving the desired outcome. 

• Success Under Pressure: Meeting tight deadlines enabled the client to fulfil their budget goals and support the timely publication of high-quality research.