THE UNJOURNAL

Visual Process Diagrams

Step-through presentations also available: Theory of Change | Evaluation Process — use arrow keys to navigate

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