Paying Peer Reviewers: Faster Reviews, Same Quality?

Two recent studies suggest that paying peer reviewers around $250 can significantly speed up the review process without compromising quality. An experiment by *Critical Care Medicine* showed that offering payment increased acceptance rates and review speed. *Biology Open* conducted a similar experiment with higher payment amounts, yielding similar results. While the studies are small-scale, they provide initial data on paid peer review, sparking debate about this model and its potential impact on scientific publishing.