Mandatory Author Self Critique — A Proposal for Scientific Publication Reform

This paper proposes a structural reform to scientific publication: a mandatory fourth section in which authors formally document their own known limitations, unresolved questions, and private doubts about their work. The proposal connects to existing frameworks in peer review reform, Invoice Transparency Theory, and EchoFamiliar Bias in scientific communities. Implementation would accelerate cumulative scientific progress by ensuring each generation begins from the known edge rather than rediscovering it.