PREreview is a platform for hosting resources to help early-career researchers (ECRs) run preprint journal clubs, learn how to constructively peer review other scientists work, and share their feedback with the community.
We see PREreview as a hub to support and nurture the growth of a community that openly exchanges timely, constructive feedback on emerging scientific outputs. We believe that by empowering ECRs through peer review training programs, thereby increasing the diversity of researchers involved in the peer review process, PREreview will help establish a healthier and more sustainable culture around research dissemination and evaluation.
We want to facilitate a cultural shift in which every scientist posts, reads, and engages with preprints as standard practice in scholarly publishing. We strive to diversify peer review in the academic community by crowdsourcing pre-publication feedback to improve the quality of published scientific output, and by training ECRs in how to constructively review others' scientific work.
What are preprints?
Preprints are complete scientific works freely shared online before the completion of editorial peer review. Preprints are often the same manuscripts that are submitted to a journal for peer review, but are stored on public servers such that they become freely available to the whole web community within 1-2 days from submission – to learn more about preprints, check out our
Preprint Info Doc.
What are preprint journal clubs and how do they differ from traditional journal clubs?
Traditional journal clubs – in which groups of scientists discuss published work – are a staple in academia; they are a way for scientists to collectively engage with others’ discoveries, and for ECRs to learn how to critically evaluate research output. However, the results of those discussions are not normally shared publicly. Furthermore, those comments cannot contribute to improving the journal-published paper, as publication renders the manuscript final and inalterable.
Discussing and reviewing preprints at journal clubs can change that. The valuable feedback that is collected during the journal club can be compiled into a review and sent back to the authors, who then have the chance of integrating that feedback into their work. Furthermore, posting these reviews publicly has the advantage of helping ECRs - or people who are outside of that given scientific field - to develop their ability to evaluate research with a critical eye.
We believe that scientific manuscripts should be read and evaluated by a diverse population of trained and interested scientists at different career levels. On PREreview, we try to make it easier for scientists around the world to run preprint journal clubs and share the fruits of their discussions by providing
support and training for preprint peer review, and by creating a space to collaboratively engage with preprints and share constructive feedback.