Between Scylla and Charybdis: academic publishing during the ongoing pandemic

Abstract

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led to an increased volume of submissions. Many journals have special issues and accelerated peer review for these articles. Maintaining the speed and rigor of the process during the pandemic can be challenging. There have been prominent retractions, predatory journals may have exploited the situation and topics other than the pandemic may be neglected. Peer reviewers are overworked and are also busy providing patient care. We should navigate carefully between ensuring timely publication and ensuring the quality of the published manuscripts. In this article I put forward twelve suggestions to support this process.