Impersonal Peer Reviewing -- Ugh

I'm not saying this is the reason academic journals are having a tough time finding qualified peer reviewers for their articles, but it certainly doesn't help: the sheer impersonality of things.

Recently, one journal sent me a request (a form letter) through their automated system. I did the review in a few days, which is lightning fast in academia .... and all I got was a form letter "thank you" in response. No human interaction  at all, and considering that I gave free but high quality labor, the experience was highly alienating.

Another journal, Gothic Studies, does a similar thing: it simply sends out a list of 10 or 15 articles that need reviewing to everyone whom the journal has previously published. Nothing personalized. Basically just this: "Dear Mr. X, please do free labor for us. Thank you." Then, when I did once review for this journal, it took them two weeks to even acknowledge receipt of my review. That irritated the hell out of me, and I haven't reviewed for them since.

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