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Where to go to do open review

Home > Focus Areas > Peer Review > Where to Go to Do Open Review

Getting started with reviewing preprints!

There are many ways to review a preprint. Click to jump down and learn more:

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Review a preprint by leaving a comment

bioRxiv and medRxiv

1. Navigate to bioRxiv or medRxiv.

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2. Select the commenting option from the toolbar.

A speech bubble icon contains lines representing text with a large red POST button below them. A black cursor is pointing at the POST button, indicating the action of posting content online.

3. Login, add your comment and hit post!

Benefits: The review can be multi-format from limited comments to a full traditional-style review. The comments are linked to individual versions.

Using Zenodo

Preprint server(s): any

Steps to leaving a review on Zenodo:

  1. Write your review in a word processor of your choice
  2. Sign up to Zenodo
  3. Upload your review

Learn more at zenodo.org.

The image shows a Zenodo webpage with a large Zenodo logo centered. The background displays a list of recent uploads and text explaining benefits and features of Zenodo in a sidebar. The page has a blue gradient overlay.

Benefits: Reviews get DOI’s and can be added to CVs.

Using PREreview

Preprint server(s): any

Steps to leaving a review on Zenodo:

  1. Sign up for a PREreview account
  2. Copy the DOI of your chosen preprint
  3. Click “Review a preprint” and follow the steps
  4. Add the review co-authors and submit your review

Learn more at prereview.org.

Screenshot of the PREreview website featuring a list of recent PREreviews. The page shows previews of reviews with titles and authors, under the PREreview logo and navigation menu items like Reviews and Tutorials.

Benefits: Receive ORCiD recognition for the review. The review appears alongside the preprint (for bioRxiv).

Using hypothes.is

Preprint server(s): any

Hypothes.is allows you to provide public or private in-line comments on preprints.

Steps to leaving a review on hypothes.is:

  1. Sign up for an account and install the bookmarklet or Chrome extension
  2. Navigate to the preprint and open the extension to begin leaving public comments
    (highlight the text you’d like to annotate)
  3. If possible, summarise the annotations in a comment on the preprint too

Learn more at: 10.5281/zenodo.10245909 and https://web.hypothes.is/help/annotation-basics/

A laptop displaying a website with Collaborate with anyone, anywhere. Text explains using Hypothesis for online annotation. Screenshots of collaborative features are visible on the right. The top navigation includes Solutions, About Us, and Contact.

Benefits: Leave in-line comments on specific elements in a preprint without the need to comment on the full article. A good approach for an in-person journal club.
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Use any of the methods mentioned as part of your normal journal club

Preprint server(s): any

  • If members bring laptops, you can comment together using hypothes.is and then summarise those annotations as a comment on the preprint server. Or note comments during the journal club and then summarise these in a comment on the preprint.
  • This helps reduce wasted time and effort from normal journal clubs where reviewing activities occur but are not normally shared with authors.
  • Plus, by reviewing as a crowd, individuals can comment on their area of expertise and collaboratively review a preprint.
Learn more at Publish Your Reviews

Benefits: Actively learn the process of review and produce a useful output of journal clubs. Interact with authors and build the profiles of journal club members.

Resources: https://osf.io/preprints/osf/ekmza | https://zenodo.org/records/10245909 | FAST principles

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