instructions

Open Peer Review (OPR)

Last Update: 2022-02-06 22:49:59

Table of Contents:

  1. What is OPR? (read below)
  2. List of Articles Published by This Journal with Open Peer Review
  3. List of Articles Published by All Brieflands Journal with Open Peer Review

 

 

Background & aim:

After 12 years of working with reviewers and associate editors, we decided to open a new window for all of our editors and authors titled "Open Peer Review." We hope to motivate our reviewers and satisfy our authors more during this new facility's review process.

We believe that publishing our peer review reports could make a transparent and clear environment for all our efforts within a journal, but not all reviewers tend to post their comments.

 

What is the "Open Peer Review" process?

An "Open Peer Review" process is making the details of all review processes (including reviewers, associate editors, and EICs comments) as "Public" as it is agreed by EIC, Authors, and reviewers. 

Advantages of "Open Peer Review" process

  1. More transparency, constructiveness, and tactful comments of the peer review process: leads to an increase in the quality of reviews.
  2. More motivations for all involved roles in the review process 
  3. Authors' satisfactions from the review process: Increases honesty between authors and reviewers
  4. Education of both authors and new students
  5. It prevents reviewers from following their agendas and leads to the detection of reviewers' conflicts of interest.

We started the "Open Peer Review" project on 1 September 2019 in all Brieflands journals. 

 

Disadvantages of "Open Peer Review"

  1. In some cases, the "Decline for Review" rate may be increased.
  2. More claims from some English-Speaking Authors regarding the quality of comments
  3. There may have a threat against high-risk authors in their scientific life.
     

Types of reviewers in Open Peer review

  1. Signed-Reviewers: These reviewers agree to declare their names and affiliations on the public journal website.
  2. Anonymous-Reviewers: These reviewers are anonymous for the public but known for EIC, while only their comments will be publicly available.
     

Which Publishers are using "Open Peer Review"?

Based on a simple search, we have found the below publishers tried/are trying the "Open Peer Review" process in some of or all of their journals:

  1. BMJ
  2. Biomed Central
  3. EMBO Press
  4. Publons: Publons maintains a list of journals to display peer review information, though what information can be displayed varies. However, this is not a complete list of all journals publishing peer review reports.
  5. TRANSPOSE: This new initiative provides a framework for collecting journal policies on open peer review, co-reviewing, and preprinting. Contributions from anyone are welcome.

Basic Structure of a report of Open Peer Review

A report sample from one of the EMBO journals could be read here.

  • This report could be in HTML or PDF format.
  • The report must be linked (included) in the HTML full text of an article.
  • A separate DOI assigns to the report so that the reviewers and authors can easily cite their comments.
  • Header: Journal info, article meta
  • Title of the article, authors, all important dates (in the Review Timelines), editor's name
  • Editor's note
  • All editorial decisions, including EIC, AE, Reviewers (role, date, details)
  • Authors' response (date, details)
  • Final editorial decisions 

The EMBO press described the related issues on this page.

A model of Peer Review process and contents of Open Peer Review Report

Here you may find a sample model of the open peer review process in Brieflands journals.

Our ultimate goal

We have developed this option as a new feature of our journal management system under consultation with our editorial board all our expert reviewers to find the best way to create a transparent environment for both our authors and reviewers. In this challenging way, we need your war messages that are more than welcome. Please be in contact with us via our support portal at https://brieflands.com/brieflands/forms/support.html

ASAPbio

ASAPbio (Accelerating Science and Publication in biology) is a scientist-driven nonprofit working to address this problem by promoting innovation and transparency in life sciences communication. In the FAQ pages of this website, you may find much exciting info about Open Peer Review. Read also this commentary.