Online Peer Review

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Online Peer Review

• A Voyage of Discovery
• Dee Wood, ESPERE Project Manager

www.espere.org
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Summary

• Who?
• What?
• Why?
• How?
• Pause for thought

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Who?

• British Society for Immunology
• The Company of Biologists
• Professional Engineering Publishing

• The Royal Society
• Society for Endocrinology
• Society for General Microbiology
• University of Nottingham EPRG

Started in 1996 as part of Electronic Libraries
project (eLib) funded by HEFCE, self-funding
since August 1998
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What?
A system for reviewing research articles
Receive research article
Send article to another expert
Receive assessment
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Variations on a theme..
Lone Editor -)
WindowSill
MultipleEditors
Two Tiers
PublishersOffice
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Why?
Reduce costs
Pressure from editors
(No. ofsubmissions)
Pressure from authors
Email not suitable
Already in digital format
Centralise/ control
Streamline
Speed
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How?
Database and file store
Web submissionform
Web review form
Admin interface
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Boundaries
Tracking database
Receive research article
File conversion
Send article to another expert
Receive assessment
Production
A system for reviewing research articles
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ESPERE System launched

• May 2000
• 19 Journals now using the system
• 000 submissions received to date
• Preferred method of submission for ProceedingsB
• J Cell Science receive 25 of submissions online

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Authors views

• Biomedical surveys showed
• 82 wanted to submit online 1999)
• Provision of suitable file formats?
• Good enough illustrations?
• Security?

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File types

• Types of files

smithfig1.tif smithfig2.tif smithfig3.tif smithfig
4.tif
PDF
Smith.doc
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Acrobat PDF
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An online submission
Registration
Journal web page
Send submissionSend additional filesView
submitted filesView status
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The office/editors view
Database and file store
Web submissionform
System email to office/Editor
Admin interface
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Actions after submission
1. Update database
Email message from system
2. Forward toReferee/Editor
URL of article
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Editorial view
View submissionsDelete submissionAdd ref
nosChange statusSearch
Log on
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Referees view
Complete report form
Journal web page
Mailed to Editor or Publisher
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Referees

• 99 compliance in 2000
• Get article immediately
• Better quality than photocopies!
• Location becomes irrelevant
• Global participation

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Integrating everything?
Database and file store
Web submissionform
Web review form
Papersystem
Existing database
Admin interface
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Integrating everything?
Database and file store
Web submissionform
Web review form
Existing database
Admin interface
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Integrating everything

• For
• Data entry by author
• No paper
• Integrated workflow
• Possible interface with production work
• Opportunity to centralise/rationalise

• Against
• High cost
• Change to new database
• Database on server
• Parallel paper?
• Authors/refs acceptance essential

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Lessons from the early explorers

• What they thought they needed
• Money
• Boat
• Why they often failed
• Getting lost
• Mutiny
• Scurvy
• Teredo worms

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Lessons from the early explorers

• What people think they need
• Money
• Boat (software and hardware)
• Recipe for success
• Getting lost (plan)
• Mutiny (involve everyone)
• Scurvy (clear training)
• Teredo worms (arrange support for the unexpected)

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Lessons from the early explorers

• Navigate (plan)
• Communicate well (tell everyone where youre
  going!)
• Avoid mutiny
• Staying healthy/positive (give clear training and
  re-inforce it)
• Help staff to cope with Teredo worms

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Pause for thought...

• Decide why you want to do it
• Get key people involved as a team
• Decide what files you will accept and stick to it
• Build up excellent expertise in email, file
  handling, use of browsers and Acrobat PDF.
• Take it slowly

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Thank you

• for listening
• A demonstration of ESPERE is available at coffee
  time and also at
• www.espere.org

With thanks toPeter ChecklandColumbusJames
CookeErnest Shackleton
American Library of Congress