By publishing in a peer-reviewed journal, researchers communicate their study results to the world. Therefore, the process of getting a paper through review and then onto the stage of publication in a time-bound manner is of particular importance.
The procedure could, however, get complicated if one is attempting to publish in a renowned journal. Let’s consider an example. A manuscript is submitted to an acclaimed journal, and then the paper is sent for review. After few months, the author receives a feedback stating that while the methodology was sound, it did not score well on the innovation count. Consequently, the researcher submits it to another celebrated journal, only to be informed later that it is too interdisciplinary in nature for that journal. This could turn into a never-ending process comprising multiple rounds of submission and rejection while searching for a suitable journal. At the same time, the researcher has to contend with the worry that someone else might race ahead to publish similar results first.
In this scenario, the emergence of portable peer review services seems like a blessing. Conventionally, the review process is conducted by the journal to which a manuscript is submitted. On the contrary, the portable peer review service is independent of journals and its goal is to reduce the redundant workload. There are few companies that encourage authors to avail the benefit of their reviews and take them along as they search for an appropriate journal.
A portable peer review involves the following stages:
- An author submits an article.
- Reviewers are tracked and assigned the task.
- Reviewers comment on the paper.
- Minute and detailed questions are developed for the reviewers.
- The author revises the manuscript accordingly and submits it to a journal.
Portable peer review services work in tandem with journal editors, allowing the latter to notify authors that the peer review offered by the former is welcome by certain journals. Some journals have initiated the practice of accepting manuscripts that were rejected by higher impact journals if they come along with an original review, a revised manuscript and the author’s rebuttal with respect to their submission package.
Portable peer review services intend to improve the quality of reviews and simultaneously reduce redundancy.