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arXiv's Review Backlog Sparks Outcry and Alternatives
Researchers fume as arXiv's review backlog swells past 4,000 papers, with some on hold for weeks. Moderators apologized as alternatives like altxiv gained traction.
2026-10-24 ~ 2026-10-27 · 2 episodes · 4 posts
Episode 1 · arXiv Review Backlogs Spark Calls for an 'altxiv' Alternative (2026-10-24, 2 posts)
Researchers complain that arXiv moderation backlogs have left their papers on hold for over a week, with one proposing an 'altxiv' platform that publishes papers instantly while ranking them by author-based quality metrics.
- arXiv moderation backlog: paper stuck on hold for 1.5 weeks — iScienceLuvr · 2026-10-24
- arXiv moderation backlog sparks 'altxiv' proposal: instant acceptance, quality-ranked — arankomatsuzaki · 2026-10-24
Episode 2 · arXiv Backlog Exceeds 4,000 Papers on Hold, Moderator Apologizes (2026-10-25, 2 posts)
arXiv now has over 4,000 papers stuck 'on hold' amid exponential submission growth, some delayed beyond three weeks with no status updates. Moderator Thomas Dietterich confirmed the backlog, apologized, and offered advice to authors.
- arXiv 'on hold' purgatory draws fire as papers sit for weeks with zero status updates — JustinAngel · 2026-10-25
- arXiv has 4,000+ papers on hold amid submission surge; moderator shares how to avoid it — tdietterich · 2026-10-27