PLOS Biology, a peer-reviewed open-access journal, has entered into an agreement with the Research on Research Institute (RoRI) and the Association for Interdisciplinary Meta-Research and Open Science (AIMOS) to become a partner journal with MetaROR (MetaResearch Open Review). MetaROR is a newly launched platform that seeks to enhance the dissemination and evaluation of meta-research by offering a transparent peer-review process. Under the agreement, PLOS Biology will formally consider submissions of meta-research articles that have undergone peer review on the MetaROR platform, strengthening collaboration with RoRI and AIMOS to advance open peer-review practices in the field.
The arrangement is positioned as part of PLOS Biology’s broader alignment with open science initiatives and evolving publication practices. The MetaROR model follows a publish-review-curate framework in which peer-review reports generated through the platform can be reused by authors when submitting to different journals. This process is intended to reduce redundancy in peer review and to minimize delays associated with multiple cycles of evaluation. The approach reflects PLOS Biology’s existing policy of considering pre-existing reviewer reports as part of its editorial workflow.
Editorial leadership at PLOS Biology described the partnership as a natural extension of the journal’s longstanding engagement with meta-research and commitment to open science. They emphasized that the collaboration with MetaROR will provide a structured mechanism to support the meta-research community while integrating reviewer reports more effectively into publication decisions.
MetaROR representatives highlighted that PLOS Biology is among the earliest journals to join the initiative, noting that the journal’s participation provides validation for the platform’s publish-review-curate model. They expressed an expectation that this collaboration would contribute to innovation in scientific publishing practices and accelerate efforts to embed transparency and efficiency in the peer-review process.
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