Author academic influence and manuscript acceptance: Evidence from peer review in cell press journals

Prior studies on peer review have largely focused on manuscript characteristics as the primary determinants of acceptance decisions. Although author academic influence is widely recognized in practice as a contributing factor, it has received limited attention in the academic literature, mainly due to data constraints. Using a unique dataset of manuscript submissions to Cell Press journals, we examine how author academic influence relates to peer review outcomes. We find that author academic influence is positively associated with manuscript acceptance, with this effect particularly pronounced for junior researchers. Our analysis indicates that author academic influence functions as a signal of a manuscript’s impact, thereby enhancing its likelihood of acceptance.