Unjournal Update

Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science 2025-01-28

A few years ago we linked to the Unjournal, a sort of recommender system for preprints. I don’t know much about it, but it seems like a good idea so I’m happy to publicize it.

Here’s David Reinstein, the organizer of the Unjournal, with an update:

The Unjournal (unjournal.org) is a nonprofit that commissions (and pays) experts to publicly evaluate and rate publicly-hosted research. It prioritizes globally-impactful work in economics and quantitative social science. It doesn’t charge for anything and it’s all open-access: you can see the evaluation output at unjournal.pubpub.org.

We are looking for people to join the pool of evaluators, and there is a range of other opportunities for involvement (with compensation and incentives). We recently introduced the Unjournal Research Affiliate role —  a low-commitment opportunity to help them identify, prioritize and discuss high-impact research, and to spread the word about this new system. You can learn about this and other ways to get involved in their knowledge base here, and apply for these roles and opportunities here.

Some other news and opportunities from The Unjournal:

  • Pivotal questions project: We received a grant to work with impact-focused organizations to identify their most decision-relevant and high value-of-information questions and claims,  operationalize them, source relevant research, evaluate the research and the questions and claims, and measure and track beliefs about these questions and claims, potentially engaging prediction markets.  We’re looking for your suggestions and engagement.

  • Independent evaluations: We’re offering prizes and recognition for independent evaluations of potentially impactful research, including for work we have already evaluated, and work we are prioritizing (see database here). See the independent evaluations trial and kickstarter incentive.

  • New approach to our “applied stream”: We’re evaluating research from ~every domain-relevant research org that received substantial funding from an Effective Altruism-adjacent or impact-oriented funder. See forum post here.

  • We’re exploring collaborations with The Black Spatula Project

  • The Unjournal is serving as an Evaluation Service Partner for the Center for Open Science Lifecycle Journal

  • Reading/Evaluation groups: We’re planning to co-host and work with existing PhD/Faculty “Reading/Evaluation groups” in economics and other areas, to help disseminate and reward their evaluation work and feedback. Let us know if you want to help organize this or get involved. We can offer some incentives. (Notes sketched here).

Again, I haven’t followed the details, but it seems good that people are trying new things.  A few years ago we discussed another such idea, Researchers.One.  The more the merrier, I say.