Diversification and Decentralization of Peer Review: Part 2—Tools That Facilitate

Part 1 explored the innovations that are reshaping the peer review process, including community and third-party services that are expanding the reviewer pool, as well as preprint servers, overlay journals, and postpublication forums that serve as examples of a more open and transparent ecosystem. Part 2 highlights the technology initiatives that streamline processes and enable experimentation in peer review. These technologies, including communication protocols, messaging services, embedded XML, and persistent identifiers, provide the necessary digital infrastructure. Also included are four key use cases that illustrate how decentralized peer review is an effective and innovative contributor to the scholarly publishing ecosystem. Each use case highlights the potential benefits of these new models, including increased transparency, faster turnaround times, and greater inclusivity. By integrating community-driven platforms, open protocols, and diversity-focused initiatives, these use cases provide a blueprint for the future of peer review. Technology and System-to-System Communication Protocols in Peer Review: Enhancing Efficiency and Transparency The digital era has reshaped scholarly publishing, and system-to-system communication protocols have become integral to modern peer review workflows. These protocols enable seamless data exchange between research platforms, preprint servers, journals, and peer review services, allowing reviews and research metadata to follow manuscripts across various stages of publication. This ensures peer review processes are portable, efficient, and accessible. Key technologies facilitating these exchanges include Manuscript Exchange Common Approach (MECA), Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR) Notify, and DocMaps, all of which promote interoperability in scholarly communication. MECA MECA, a NISO Recommended Practice, streamlines the transfer of research […]