Lexature Score: How Peer Reviewers Rank Submissions

Abstract

One of the main motivations for publishing in a well-known or prestigious journal is to help advance your career. Journals themselves are assessed by their impact factor which measures how often articles from that journal within some time frame were cited. Because this metric is often used by institutions to determine the merit of an authors publication when assessing them for an employment position, authors generally desire to publish their research in journals that's impact factor is higher. Open access journals tend not to be able to compete with larger more well-established journals for author submissions because the impact factor metric favors well-established institutions. Lexature, having broad editorial standards determined by the community would face a similar obstacle if it's publications were assessed all together, so we segregate submissions based on reviewer feedback and attempt to aggregate articles together based on estimated impact factor into tiered journals.

Journal Tiers

Lexature has a 4 tiers of journals named based on traditional medallion rankings within sporting competitions:

1. Lexature Platinum is intended for groundbreaking submissions that demonstrate exceptional impact across multiple disciplines. Qualifying papers typically show:

   • Citations in the top 0.1% for their field

   • Significant adoption across 3+ distinct research domains

   • Clear evidence of transforming research methodology or industry practices. Example works include fundamental methodological breakthroughs like the Folin reagent protocol, transformer architecture, and PCR.

2. Lexature Gold is intended for high-impact papers that make substantial contributions to their field. These works typically:

   • Rank in the top 1% of citations for their domain

   • Show strong adoption within their primary field

   • Demonstrate clear methodological advancement or theoretical contribution

3. Lexature Silver is intended for solid research contributions that advance their specific subfield. These papers typically:

   • Rank in the top 20% of citations in their specialty

   • Present novel findings or methodological improvements

   • Show consistent citation growth over time

4. Lexature Bronze is intended for sound research work that:

   • Meets all quality standards for experimental design and methodology

   • Makes incremental contributions to existing knowledge

   • Shows potential for future impact in specialized areas

Lexature Score

When referees are submitting their final verdict regarding a paper's submission they are asked to classify the paper's contribution to the scientific field it is being submitted to as one of the following:

• Introductory (1)

• Basic (2)

• Exceptional (3)

• Landmark (4)

These are what Lexature calls the Contribution Decision where the numeral enclosed in the parentheses represents that contributions decisions associated score. Referees are also asked to provide a revision decision that can be one of the following:

1. Approved (1)

2. Approved with minor revisions (0.66)

3. Approved with major revisions (0.25)

4. Rejected (0)

In the case of the revision decision the above parenthetical enclose a multiplier that is combined with the respective reviewers score to determine an ultimate contribution to the final Lexature Score. The following formula is used to determine the Lexature score at the end of a review period:

Qualifying for Lexature Journals

The Lexature score is then compared against the minimum score required for entree into a particular journal based on the following minimum scores for each journal:

It is therefor not necessary that all reviewers completely approve of an article and have the same contribution decision in order for an paper to be published into a particular tier except for the platinum tier which requires complete reviewer consensus.

Review Process and Consensus Requirements

While most tiers can accommodate varying reviewer opinions, special consideration is given to submissions targeting Lexature Platinum. The requirements for each tier are as follows:

• Lexature Platinum: Complete reviewer consensus required

  • All reviewers must approve the submission (R_i = 1.00)

  • All reviewers must rate the contribution as either Exceptional or Landmark

  • Minimum total score of 12 must be achieved

• Lexature Gold: Strong reviewer agreement

  • Majority approval required (R_i ≥ 0.66 for most reviewers)

  • Minimum total score of 9 must be achieved

  • Can accommodate one major revision decision

• Lexature Silver: Moderate reviewer agreement

  • Minimum total score of 6 must be achieved

  • Can accommodate mixed revision decisions

• Lexature Bronze: Basic reviewer acceptance

  • Minimum total score of 3 must be achieved

  • Can accommodate major revision decisions

  • Must not have any rejection decisions

Post-Publication Assessment

To maintain the integrity of journal tiers, papers are subject to ongoing impact assessment:

1. Citation Tracking

   • Papers are monitored for citation patterns

   • Cross-disciplinary citation spread is analyzed

   • Citation velocity is measured

2. Usage Metrics

   • Download statistics

   • Reader engagement metrics

   • Implementation in practice

3. Annual Review

   • Papers may be promoted to higher tiers based on demonstrated impact

   • Exceptional performance may warrant tier elevation

   • Original publication tier is always noted alongside any promotion

Discussion and Implications

The Lexature tiering system offers several advantages over traditional journal impact metrics:

1. Dynamic Assessment

   • Papers are evaluated based on both immediate reviewer assessment and long-term impact

   • The system allows for recognition of papers that exceed initial expectations

2. Transparent Criteria

   • Clear scoring mechanisms

   • Well-defined minimum requirements

   • Objective promotion criteria

3. Field-Specific Context

   • Allows for fair comparison within disciplines

   • Recognizes different citation patterns across fields

   • Maintains rigor while accounting for field-specific impact patterns

Conclusion

The Lexature journal system represents a novel approach to academic publishing that addresses several limitations of traditional impact factor metrics. By combining immediate expert assessment through the review process with clear tier qualification criteria, the system provides a transparent and merit-based publication framework. The tiered structure ensures that high-quality research receives appropriate recognition while maintaining rigorous standards across all levels of publication. The inclusion of post-publication assessment and the possibility of tier promotion acknowledges that research impact can evolve over time, providing ongoing incentive for researchers to produce their best work. This dynamic approach, coupled with clear criteria and consensus requirements, offers a more nuanced and fair evaluation of research contributions than traditional single-metric systems.