可能是世界科学界产出激增，也许是作者的投机心理增强。不管怎么样吧，这几年很多学术期刊的稿件量都增长很快。论文来了就要审稿。但找审稿人越来越困难。很多朋友都经历过很长时间的“awaiting reviewer assignment”。为什么指定审稿人要拖很长时间？因为总也找不到合适的审稿人。正规的学术期刊，要找与论文内容相关的高水平同行。但高人一般也很忙。一些比较自私的就以没时间为由拒绝审稿。为此，负责稿件的主编、副主编就要从高到低，联系一系列可能的审稿人。

今天在一位老外副主编（1）的博客中贴出来他的一封信，显然是遇到自私的审稿人，气坏了。我大致介绍一下，感兴趣的网友自己读他信件的全文（2）。

这位老先生负责的一篇稿件，寄给大牛ZZZ，期望大牛审稿或者请身边的内行人审稿。结果大牛ZZZ自己没时间，也不愿意自己手下的大量研究生、博士后花点时间审这篇稿件。正巧这位副主编是ZZZ的一篇投稿另外一个期刊的稿件的审稿人之一。你忙，我不忙吗？凭什么我们给你审稿，你不为大家审稿。你不审，我保证不把你的稿件拖到2016年。

这老先生是真急了。估计那位自己的大牛也会收敛一些。

对于我们国内的朋友们，建议大家能审稿尽量接受审稿任务。这就像不乱扔垃圾一样，属于这个小社会每一份子的义务和责任。同时，我们大多数人国际学术界的学术地位并没有树立起来，认真负责地评审每一篇稿件，也是在这片土地上的一分耕耘。

1、此人叫Dan Graur，在进化生物学界，站出来批评ENCODE、强调人类基因组不可能大部分序列都有功能，他是最积极的一位。感兴趣的网友可以浏览他过去的博文。看看老先生的博文，这是一位心直口快的人物，也敢说，不怕事。

2、   An Open Letter to a Potential Reviewer “Who Has No Time”

Dear ZZZ

As Associate Editor of the journal Genome Biology and Evolution, I have asked you three days ago to review a manuscript by YYY et al. entitled XXX. You declined, claiming that you have no time. You didn’t even suggest an in-house alternative, despite the fact that I know for certain that your lab is populated by many graduate students and postdocs.

By coincidence, the journal PLoS Genetics has asked me to review a paper of yours. I have as little time as you have, yet I understand that it is the duty of scientists to review manuscript submissions. How else will the system of peer review survive?

Let me suggest a deal. You take a look at the paper I have send you, and I promise not to drag my review of your manuscript into 2016? Does it feel like the a head of dead horse has been thrown into your bed? Well, it should.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for editors to find suitable scientists to review submissions, yet these “have-no-time” scientists bombard the journals with dozens of submissions every year expecting them to be reviewed in timely manner.

I decided that the only way to fix the situation is a system of retaliation.

I beg you to reconsider and take the time to read the paper that we asked you to review. Understandably, I reserve the right to drag my review of your PLoS Genetics manuscript paper for many months and request all kinds of revisions in case you decide not to change your mind.

Sincerely,

Dan Graur