Table 5: Mean SA- and R-scores by Essential Area, ranked by difference.
In assessing the highest mean R-scores across all Essential Areas (Table 6), the Essential Areas of Usefulness and Timeliness did not feature in the top five. The highest scored Usefulness question was Question 32, ‘Do you seek feedback from editors about the editorial process, and act on that feedback?’ (10th; mean R-score = 2.21). In the Essential Area of Timeliness, the highest scoring question was Q35, ‘Do you conduct regular reviews of your workflow and metrics, and do you act on the findings to make improvements?’ (14th; mean R-score = 2.17). For the five questions that scored most highly, four have standard system solutions, i.e. they are enabled by default in the journals’ submission systems.