What Does Open Review Mean for Researchers?

The peer review process is an essential piece in academic publishing. Like the scientific community and the publishing world, the peer review process is an ever-changing field. To ensure success in a particular field, researchers must keep up with the latest changes in the academic world, especially as it relates to how their manuscript will be published. One of these changes is the rise of the open review process, which focuses on a more collaborative way of going about the peer review process (Gonser, 2021).

It is important for researchers to fully appreciate how much the peer review process has changed over time. Usually, peer review means that a researcher will look at the work of another researcher within the same field and evaluate the quality, originality, and significance of the researcher’s work. The concept of peer reviewing was first called referring, and there is evidence of the idea dating back centuries. The current peer review process that we all know only became a thing after the second world war prompted a rise in scientific publication (Gonser, 2021).

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As peer reviewing became more entrenched in the scientific world, it became more utilized for research that is considered of the highest quality. In fact, peer reviewing became a necessity for publishers to accept and publish a manuscript. By the 1990s, it was almost unfathomable to publish meaningful research without going through the peer review process (Gonser, 2021).

The advancement of technologies, especially the internet, made the spread of information much faster and easier. Things that needed to be mailed and took months to get through now only needed the click of a button. This prompted the peer review process to also change, especially with the concept of open peer review (Gonser, 2021).

The open peer review process exists in a number of different ways. It may mean that the authors and reviewers are able to know each other’s identities, the review reports are published alongside the research, or the scientific community at large contributes to the process, as opposed to only invited reviewers. Scholars say that the open peer review process is helpful because it results in more considerate and helpful critiques and more honest and thorough reviewing simply because the reviewers’ identities are no longer concealed (Gonser, 2021).

However, many scholars also name the downfalls of the open peer review process. The downsides named mostly relate to the fact that the reviewers’ names will be shown and their reports published with the paper. For one, any noted bias or critical language may paint that reviewer in a negative light and result in their reputation being tarnished. These harsh criticisms are often expected, as the authors whose manuscripts are being reviewed are sending unreviewed manuscripts. Therefore, reviewers are expected to give unusually harsh feedback, but many people not in the academic world may not be aware of this (Gonser, 2021).

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Therefore, if researchers are using an open peer review process, they often use services to make sure that their work that is being submitted is polished and will not result in harsh feedback. This is mostly because it is not advantageous for a researcher to have their work published with such feedback and may result in them not being taken seriously in the field. Choosing an author services provider that is catered to your needs, such as eContent Pro, is essential if you are going to use an open peer review process (Gonser, 2021).

Although open peer review may not be for everyone, it is definitely a process that should be considered for scholars. It is important to know what your options are and pick one that best fits what your manuscript provides. After all, a researcher must do all they can to ensure that their work is seen by other researchers in the field, or they risk their work not reaching their target audience (Gonser, 2021).

As publishing is an important pillar of building a standout research profile, it is paramount to make use of available editorial services, many of which are available on the eContent Pro website. Services such as English Language Copy Editing, Scientific and Scholarly Copy Editing, Journal Selection, and many other related services will greatly improve your chances of getting your manuscript accepted into a journal. You will find eContent Pro’s editorial services to be top quality, turned around exceptionally quickly, and affordably priced. Here are what our satisfied customers are saying about eContent Pro’s Author Services: