IOP Publishing (IOPP) has unveiled a pioneering feedback system designed to provide valuable insights to peer reviewers, ultimately enhancing the quality of peer review and reinforcing best practices in the physical sciences.
The new program, rolled out on an opt-in basis across all proprietary journals of IOPP, allows reviewers to receive feedback on their reports. Those who choose to opt-in will receive a numerical evaluation of the report's usefulness to in-house editors, rated on a scale of 1 to 5. A score of 5 indicates an outstanding report, while 1 signifies that the report is not suitable to inform a decision. In addition to the numerical rating, reviewers will also receive constructive information about the structure and utility of their reports.
The decision to implement this innovative feedback system was influenced by a survey involving insights from more than 1,200 researchers who have either reviewed or been invited to review with IOPP. The findings revealed that feedback on reviewer reports would significantly enhance the peer review experience. Key areas of improvement identified included being notified about the final decision on the paper and receiving information about the quality of their reports. Notably, early career researchers expressed a particularly high value for feedback on the quality of their reports, recognizing its importance in developing their research skills.
The official launch follows a successful trial of the program across three IOP Publishing journals: Engineering Research Express, Environmental Research Letters, and Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. Impressively, over 85% of reviewers involved in the trial found the feedback on their reports to be useful or very useful. Since the extension of the program to all proprietary journals in September, more than 2,700 reviewers have already opted in to receive feedback on their reports.
The introduction of the reviewer feedback system marks the latest in a series of peer review innovations at IOPP, including a new co-review policy and the Peer Review Excellence program. The initiative reflects IOPP's commitment to transparency in the peer review process and supporting the professional development of early-career researchers in the field.
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