Theory of Change (Full)
How The Unjournal creates positive global outcomes. Yellow = direct path, Green = multi-step outcomes, Blue = academic integration, Pink = systemic change.
flowchart TD
classDef direct fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px,color:#92400e
classDef multi fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#16a34a,stroke-width:2px,color:#166534
classDef integrate fill:#dbeafe,stroke:#2563eb,stroke-width:2px,color:#1e40af
classDef systemic fill:#fce7f3,stroke:#db2777,stroke-width:2px,color:#9d174d
START["UJ: Tools, Incentives, Platforms"]:::multi
START -->|enables| EVAL["More Efficient Research Feedback"]:::multi
START -->|focuses on| FOCUS["Impactful Research"]:::direct
START -->|pays for| PAY["Academics Evaluate Impact Work"]:::integrate
START -->|builds| PREDICT["Reliable Quality Predictors"]:::systemic
FOCUS --> MORE_EVAL["More Evaluation of High-Impact Research"]:::direct
EVAL --> MORE_EVAL
MORE_EVAL --> RIGOR["Improved Rigor of Impact Research"]:::direct
MORE_EVAL --> OPEN["Open Science Practices"]:::direct
RIGOR --> IMPROVED["Impactful Research Improved"]:::multi
OPEN --> REPLICABLE["More Replicable and Reliable"]:::direct
REPLICABLE --> IMPROVED
PAY --> AWARE["Academic Awareness of Impact Research"]:::integrate
RIGOR -->|stronger work| AWARE
AWARE --> ACAD_FOCUS["Academic Focus on Global Priorities"]:::integrate
PAY --> IMPROVED
ACAD_FOCUS --> IMPROVED
EVAL --> ATTRACT["UJ Attractive to Researchers"]:::systemic
PREDICT --> GATEKEEP["Attractive to Gatekeepers"]:::systemic
GATEKEEP --> ATTRACT
ATTRACT --> REPLACE["UJ-Style Replaces Traditional Journals"]:::systemic
PREDICT --> REPLACE
REPLACE --> EFFICIENT["Research Evaluation More Efficient"]:::systemic
EFFICIENT --> USEFUL["Academic Research More Useful"]:::systemic
USEFUL -->|some is impactful| IMPROVED
REPLACE --> ACCESS["Open Access"]:::systemic
ACCESS --> INFORMED["Decision Makers Better Informed"]:::direct
IMPROVED --> INFORMED
START -->|incentivizes| FORMATS["Readable, Transparent Formats"]:::systemic
FORMATS --> INFORMED
FORMATS --> USEFUL
INFORMED --> POLICY["Better Policy Choices"]:::multi
POLICY --> OUTCOMES["Survival and Flourishing"]:::multi
Direct path
Multi-step outcomes
Academic integration
Systemic change
Theory of Change (Simplified)
The core path from better evaluation to better outcomes.
flowchart TD
classDef direct fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px
classDef multi fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#16a34a,stroke-width:2px
A["Better Research Evaluation"]:::multi
B["Focus on Impactful Research"]:::direct
C["Paid Expert Evaluators"]:::multi
A --> D["Higher Quality Research"]:::direct
B --> D
B --> E["Open Science Practices"]:::direct
C --> F["Academic Interest in Impact"]:::multi
D --> G["Decision Makers Better Informed"]:::direct
E --> G
F --> G
G --> H["Better Policy Choices"]:::multi
H --> I["Positive Global Outcomes"]:::multi
Evaluation Workflow
From research submission to published evaluation. Typical timeline: 7-10 weeks.
flowchart TD
classDef start fill:#e0f2fe,stroke:#0284c7,stroke-width:2px
classDef process fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px
classDef eval fill:#dbeafe,stroke:#2563eb,stroke-width:2px
classDef author fill:#fce7f3,stroke:#db2777,stroke-width:2px
classDef end_good fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#16a34a,stroke-width:3px
classDef end_bad fill:#fee2e2,stroke:#dc2626,stroke-width:2px
SUBMIT["Research Submitted or Identified"]:::start
SUBMIT --> PRIORITY["UJ Team Prioritizes"]:::process
PRIORITY -->|Low priority| DEPRI["Deprioritized"]:::end_bad
PRIORITY -->|High priority| CONTACT["Contact Authors for Permission"]:::process
CONTACT -->|Author declines| DEPRI
CONTACT -->|Author agrees| MANAGER["Evaluation Manager Assigned"]:::eval
MANAGER --> RECRUIT["Evaluators Recruited: 2-3 accept"]:::eval
RECRUIT -->|5+ weeks| REPORTS["Evaluators Complete Reports and Ratings"]:::eval
REPORTS -->|2 weeks| RESPONSE["Authors Write Response"]:::author
RESPONSE --> SUMMARY["Manager Writes Summary"]:::eval
REPORTS --> SUMMARY
SUMMARY --> PUBLISH["Published on PubPub with DOIs"]:::end_good
RESPONSE --> PUBLISH
REPORTS --> PUBLISH
PUBLISH --> PROMOTE["Promoted and Tracked"]:::process
Traditional Journal Process (For Comparison)
The slow, opaque process that The Unjournal improves upon. Average: 24+ months in economics.
flowchart TD
classDef bad fill:#fee2e2,stroke:#dc2626,stroke-width:2px
classDef neutral fill:#f3f4f6,stroke:#6b7280,stroke-width:1px
classDef good fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#16a34a,stroke-width:2px
SUBMIT["Submit to Journal"]:::neutral
SUBMIT -->|1-3 weeks| SCREEN{"Desk Review"}:::neutral
SCREEN --> DESK["Desk Rejected"]:::bad
SCREEN --> PASS["Passes to Reviewers"]:::neutral
PASS -->|1-4 weeks| FIND["Find Reviewers: 2-3 accept"]:::neutral
FIND -->|1-6 months| REVIEWS["Reviewers Return Reports"]:::neutral
REVIEWS -->|kept secret| DECISION{"Editor Decision"}:::neutral
DECISION --> ACCEPT["Accepted"]:::good
DECISION --> REJECT["Rejected"]:::bad
DECISION --> RR["Revise and Resubmit"]:::neutral
RR -->|4-12 weeks| REVISE["Authors Revise"]:::neutral
REVISE --> FIND
ACCEPT --> DATA["Data Editor Review"]:::neutral
DATA -->|2-8 weeks| PUBLISHED["Published"]:::good
DESK --> RETRY["Try Another Journal"]:::bad
REJECT --> RETRY
RETRY --> SUBMIT
Research Prioritization Framework
How we decide which research to evaluate based on relevance, prestige, influence, and methodology.
flowchart TD
classDef start fill:#e0f2fe,stroke:#0284c7,stroke-width:2px
classDef question fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px
classDef high fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#16a34a,stroke-width:3px
classDef medium fill:#fde68a,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px
classDef low fill:#fee2e2,stroke:#dc2626,stroke-width:2px
START["Research Suggested"]:::start
START --> Q1{"Globally Decision-Relevant?"}:::question
Q1 -->|Yes| Q2{"Prestigious or Already Influential?"}:::question
Q1 -->|Not directly| Q3{"Supports Impactful Work?"}:::question
Q2 -->|Prestigious and Relevant| HIGH["HIGH PRIORITY: Definitely Evaluate"]:::high
Q2 -->|Influential but not prestigious| HIGH2["HIGH PRIORITY: Policy Stream"]:::high
Q2 -->|Neither yet| Q4{"Strong Methodology?"}:::question
Q3 -->|Yes: methods, tools| MEDIUM["MEDIUM: Consider If Capacity"]:::medium
Q3 -->|No| LOW["LOW: Not In Scope"]:::low
Q4 -->|Rigorous and clear| MEDIUM2["MEDIUM-HIGH: Promising Neglected Work"]:::medium
Q4 -->|Weak or unclear| LOW