John Wiley & Sons, Inc., today announced the trial of an enhanced system
of peer review, which will allow for the transfer of reviewer comments
between journals. Peer review is an integral part of scientific
publishing and the new pilot is being trialled in selected neuroscience
journals.
“Peer review is an essential cornerstone for scientific publishing,
where rigorous scrutiny results in high quality research,” said Philip
Carpenter, Vice President and Managing Director, Research
Communications, Wiley. “As an example of the best traditional practices
evolving to fit the needs of 21st century researchers, we believe this
enhanced system will save authors, reviewers and editors valuable time
and significantly increase the publication speed of many papers.”
Across the publishing industry traditional peer review takes an average
of 80 days per paper*. Research articles submitted to Wiley
journals are reviewed by at least two suitably qualified experts
before an editor makes a decision to publish based on the reviews
provided.
If a paper is rejected from the author’s first choice journal the entire
process is repeated upon resubmission, sometimes with the same
reviewers. To make this process more efficient, Wiley has developed a
system to preserve and transfer the initial peer review, enabling the
review to travel with the article between journals on its route to
publication.
This enhanced system of transferable peer review will be piloted amongst
nine of Wiley’s high impact neuroscience titles. The journals will use
their usual review format, with the addition of a standard scorecard
that will be used by all other participating journals. If, following a
rejection, a manuscript is submitted to a second journal, the author
will have the option to transfer the review and the paper’s scorecard.
Authors will have the opportunity to revise their manuscript according
to review comments prior to transfer and resubmission.
“The Journal
of Comparative Neurology (JCN) is pleased to participate in
the transferable peer review pilot program. The ability to transfer
papers with their reviews in a seamless manner will increase the
efficiency of the peer review system by reducing the burden on
reviewers, while helping editors to make prompt decisions. This will
result in faster outcomes for authors and improved editorial turn-around
time,” said Dr. Patrick Hof, JCN Editor-in-Chief, of Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai, U.S.A. “We believe this will substantially
enhance the peer review system and are looking forward to feedback from
authors and reviewers during the pilot phase of the development.”
The pilot will run for at least six months and results will be used to
develop a robust process which can be expanded across Wiley’s journal
portfolio. Wiley journals that also participate in the Neuroscience Peer
Review Consortium will continue to participate in that program.
About the Pilot:
The neuroscience journals taking part in the pilot are: Brain
and Behavior, Human Brain Mapping, Hippocampus, Journal
of Comparative Neurology, Journal of Neuroscience Research, Depression
and Anxiety, Developmental Neurobiology, Synapse, Genes,
Brain & Behavior
For more information visit:wileyonlinelibrary.com/PeerReviewPilot
Peer Review:
For Wiley’s peer review policy, visit:
http://www.wileyopenaccess.com/details/content/12f25da7fe4/Peer-Review-Policy.html
For more on peer review across the industry:
*M. Ware, Peer
review: benefits, perceptions, and alternatives, Publishing
Research Consortium, London UK, 2008
About Wiley:
Wiley is a global provider of content-enabled solutions that improve
outcomes in research, education, and professional practice. Our core
businesses produce scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly
journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising;
professional books, subscription products, certification and training
services and online applications; and education content and services
including integrated online teaching and learning resources for
undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners.
Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: JWa, JWb), has been a
valued source of information and understanding for more than 200 years,
helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their
aspirations. Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works
of more than 450 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature,
Economics, Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Peace.
Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with
operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The
Company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com
