In 2023, ASAPbio and Europe PMC held a joint meeting on preprint review metadata. The event saw representatives from preprint review projects, infrastructure providers, publishers, funders, and other stakeholders convened to collaboratively determine the key elements of preprint review metadata and mechanisms for sharing this information. Over the following year, we formed working groups to generate resources and improve the metadata associated with preprint peer reviews. One working group mapped the metadata transfer workflows, posted as a preprint and discussed in a previous ASAPbio community call. A second working group was focussed on curating examples of metadata workflows and has now launched a website and further documentation.
Metadata is structured information that describes research articles; such as the author, title, publication date, keywords and preprint server hosting the article. In scientific publishing, metadata is essential for enhancing the discoverability, accessibility, and reproducibility of research. It allows researchers, databases, and indexing services to efficiently organize, search, and cite scientific work, thereby supporting transparency and collaboration across disciplines.
Ensuring transparency and accessibility for preprint review metadata is paramount. A shared understanding and consistent use of preprint review metadata is crucial, because it can be used to give readers insight into the rigor and thoroughness of the review process. This understanding can impact readers’ perceptions of a preprint’s reliability and validity. In a world where preprinting is the norm, it will be increasingly important to help communicate the value to readers.
This comprehensive resource isn’t just another website; it’s a living guide providing clear examples of metadata associated with preprint peer review. This website provides examples of how and where preprint review metadata is currently deposited and how to retrieve and share it. It is organised as fields that are inputs to or outputs from the process.
Each metadata element is assigned a colour-code indicating how well the information is currently being shared across different preprint peer-review initiatives and where it can be recorded. These scores are visually represented using a clear traffic light system:
🔴 Red: Indicates that information is not well captured or implemented, signalling an immediate need for community action
🟡 Amber (Yellow): Suggests that data is partially collected or implemented, requiring observation to determine if further community action is needed
🟢 Green: Shows that information is well collected and implemented, indicating robust practices
Grey: Signifies that no further action is required at this stage
A Community-Driven Initiative
This page isn’t meant to be a static resource. Each page includes an “actions/updates section” where members of the community can actively discuss steps to improve the deposit and retrieval of metadata. We strongly encourage contributors to make edits and contribute to the ongoing improvement of this vital resource. By providing these insights and tools, the Preprint Review Metadata Modelling documentation aims to foster greater consistency, discoverability, and transparency in preprint peer review. It’s a collaborative effort to ensure that valuable review information is as open and accessible as the preprints themselves.
Dive In and Contribute! Whether you’re a researcher, a preprint server operator, a funder, or simply interested in open science, we invite you to explore this documentation. Your insights and contributions are invaluable as we work together to enhance the landscape of scholarly communication. If you have any specific questions relating to this resource please contact [email protected]
In 2023, ASAPbio and Europe PMC held a joint meeting on preprint review metadata. The event saw representatives from preprint review projects, infrastructure providers, publishers, funders, and other stakeholders convened to collaboratively determine the key elements of preprint review metadata and mechanisms for sharing this information. Over the following year, we formed working groups to generate resources and improve the metadata associated with preprint peer reviews. One working group mapped the metadata transfer workflows, posted as a preprint and discussed in a previous ASAPbio community call. A second working group was focussed on curating examples of metadata workflows and has now launched a website and further documentation.
Metadata is structured information that describes research articles; such as the author, title, publication date, keywords and preprint server hosting the article. In scientific publishing, metadata is essential for enhancing the discoverability, accessibility, and reproducibility of research. It allows researchers, databases, and indexing services to efficiently organize, search, and cite scientific work, thereby supporting transparency and collaboration across disciplines.
Ensuring transparency and accessibility for preprint review metadata is paramount. A shared understanding and consistent use of preprint review metadata is crucial, because it can be used to give readers insight into the rigor and thoroughness of the review process. This understanding can impact readers’ perceptions of a preprint’s reliability and validity. In a world where preprinting is the norm, it will be increasingly important to help communicate the value to readers.
This comprehensive resource isn’t just another website; it’s a living guide providing clear examples of metadata associated with preprint peer review. This website provides examples of how and where preprint review metadata is currently deposited and how to retrieve and share it. It is organised as fields that are inputs to or outputs from the process.
Each metadata element is assigned a colour-code indicating how well the information is currently being shared across different preprint peer-review initiatives and where it can be recorded. These scores are visually represented using a clear traffic light system:
🔴 Red: Indicates that information is not well captured or implemented, signalling an immediate need for community action
🟡 Amber (Yellow): Suggests that data is partially collected or implemented, requiring observation to determine if further community action is needed
🟢 Green: Shows that information is well collected and implemented, indicating robust practices
Grey: Signifies that no further action is required at this stage
A Community-Driven Initiative
This page isn’t meant to be a static resource. Each page includes an “actions/updates section” where members of the community can actively discuss steps to improve the deposit and retrieval of metadata. We strongly encourage contributors to make edits and contribute to the ongoing improvement of this vital resource. By providing these insights and tools, the Preprint Review Metadata Modelling documentation aims to foster greater consistency, discoverability, and transparency in preprint peer review. It’s a collaborative effort to ensure that valuable review information is as open and accessible as the preprints themselves.
Dive In and Contribute! Whether you’re a researcher, a preprint server operator, a funder, or simply interested in open science, we invite you to explore this documentation. Your insights and contributions are invaluable as we work together to enhance the landscape of scholarly communication. If you have any specific questions relating to this resource please contact [email protected]