Referee Strategy (jf-referee-strategy)

When to trigger

• Before submitting: anticipating the objections a JF referee will raise
• The portal asks for suggested / opposed reviewers
• A conflict of interest among editors, AEs, or referees needs flagging

How JF review works (plan around it)

JF, the AFA flagship, runs a demanding multi-round process: a handling editor (currently Antoinette Schoar (MIT), with co-editors and 50+ Associate Editors — verify the masthead) screens first, then assigns typically 2–3 referees. The reality is severe — ~33–45% desk-rejected, ~5% accepted (afajof.org editor reports, accessed 2026-05-30). Most papers die at desk review, so the first job is surviving the editor, not the referees.

JF-specific channels

• A cover letter is normally unnecessary at JF — use one only to flag a conflict of interest (referees/AEs/editors who should be excluded) or to request a code-sharing exemption. Do not pad it (see jf-submission).
• Suggested/opposed reviewers, if the portal asks, should be specific and justified.

Anticipating objections (pre-empt in the paper)