"Whereas scientists would face backlash " Bingo. It's usually not a good idea to expect groups to self police themselves - Doctors, Lawyers, Judges - they rar

"Whereas scientists would face backlash " Bingo. It's usually not a good idea to expect groups to self police themselves - Doctors, Lawyers, Judges - they rarely hold themselves as accountable as outsiders. The real issue for this in my mind - why the hell is this stuff still gatekeeping Before the internet journals made sense as a way to distribute content effectively - but content distribution is either a solved problem or should be a solved problem. Journals are relics that should die - need a scientific wiki or similar model to replace the journal concept. Right now it's just a good 'ol boys club, like most professional organizations. Inject some external pressure and you will see the dynamics change.