Editorial Note: We Need to Recognise That Peer Review is Central to the 'Social Contract' of Academic Citizenship

When submitting a manuscript to JASSS, authors should be aware that the quality of the feedback they will receive on their manuscript depends on the voluntary work of the editors and reviewers, and that a fair distribution of this collective effort is essential for the sustainability of peer review. This editorial note aims to make explicit certain reciprocal obligations that characterise the social contract of academic citizenship on which any journal depends. It announces new initiatives to motivate reviewers in times of increasing demand. Although we compete for resources, prestige, and reputation, we should also cooperate to maintain important public goods, such as editorial work and peer review. The combination of editorial responsibility and decen-tralised, inclusive and constructive peer review is the main raison d’être of academic journals. This function is central to credibility and trust in science.