Academics often struggle with #worklifeconflict, especially during breaks. Many (including me) can't seem to set down our work & relax.
To rationalize working, we offer our partners & families many reasons for ignoring social obligations. Here are a few of my personal favorites (imagine my nose growing longer as you read the first one).
1. I have a paper deadline
3. I am worried about promotion
4. I like what I do
While these reasons have some truth, all are rationalizations for working when, perhaps, we should focus on our well-being, our families, & our friends. & we all have the means to address them through better scheduling our time, setting realistic expectations, or pursuing a more balanced life.
However, the peer-review process is one source of work-family-life conflict that we all lack control over.
The past three years, sometime from December 23rd to January 3rd, I received emails that:
1. invite me to write or prompt me to submit a review
2. ask for a meeting to discuss a review
3. reject my paper.
These requests create guilt, worry, & pain, to name a few emotions.
If these emails evoke such stress in a Full Professor, who is allegedly in control of his destiny? What do they do to young faculty? & our students?
Consider Ibid, an assistant professor who just wrapped up teaching & is looking forward to the holidays.
Ding! An email. Dear Ibid ... your paper is not a good fit for our journal ...
Put yourself in the shoes of Ibid, who must now go to the family Christmas party, knowing their work was deemed not fit for publication.
Put yourself in the shoes of Ibid's partner, who must walk on eggshells through the holidays, knowing Ibid is in a fragile state.
Put yourself in the shoes of the rejecting journal editor, who feels good for ticking off a to-do, "unaware" they have ruined Ibid & their partner's holidays!
Asking for reviews, demanding meetings & rejecting papers over the holidays is nonsense! & propagates an abusive academic hazing system that asks for much & gives little to young colleagues.
So let's put an end to it!
I propose that journal editors, publishing houses, & everyone involved in #publications agree to a truce, from say, now, December 23rd to January 2nd.
We all agree to send no review invitations, no reminders to complete reviews, no meeting requests, & no rejections.
Further, if we must, we all agree only to send authors optimistic, actionable feedback during the truce.
Finally, we all agree to a truce next year, too - so that every #academic can look forward to the holidays!
We will all have a more restful holiday season if we agree to these terms for a Christmas truce! & a stronger #community in the coming year!
I wish you all a happy holiday season! & best of luck in the New Year!
Note: This was posted in 2021. It has become part of my holiday tradition. I encourage you to make reposting it part of yours.
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