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December 09, 2013

Transferable Peer Review Pilot Launched For Wiley Neuroscience Journals

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.