Peer review is a critical part of the journal submission process. ACS Publications is always looking for new ways to improve peer review to serve the ACS community most effectively and demonstrate our commitment to open science. ACS Publications is excited to announce a transparent peer review pilot in two of our journals, ACS Central Science […]

Peer review is a critical part of the journal submission process. ACS Publications is always looking for new ways to improve peer review to serve the ACS community most effectively and demonstrate our commitment to open science.

ACS Publications is excited to announce a transparent peer review pilot in two of our journals, ACS Central Science and The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. This pilot program will provide increased transparency around the peer-review process,

What is Transparent Peer Review?

Transparent peer review allows the reader to see the exchange between authors and reviewers.

If the author chooses to participate in transparent peer review, the anonymous review comments and the author’s response to the reviewers’ comments will be published as supporting information and will be freely available alongside the article at online publication.

Transparent peer review maintains the anonymity of the reviewer unless otherwise requested by the reviewer.

What are the benefits of Transparent Peer Review?

Transparent peer review aims to benefit the research community by:

  • Enabling readers to gain insights into the publication’s peer review history as well as the discussions between reviewers and authors, highlighting the important role of reviewers in the peer review process
  • Providing more accountability for authors, reviewers, and editors during the peer review process
  • Addressing author concerns regarding editorial bias
  • Providing educational opportunities for new and early career researchers to learn from constructive reviews and responses to reviewer comments

Visit the Transparent Peer Review Pilot hub to find out more information, including how to participate in the pilot and a detailed FAQ.

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