The Publish-Review-Curate model, an alternative to the traditional editorial system

The traditional model of scientific publishing, criticized for its slowness and opacity, is seeing the emergence of two alternatives: peer-reviewed preprints and the Publish-Review-Curate (PRC) model. These approaches are based on the free online publication of preprints, followed by open evaluation and, in the case of PRC, curation that selects certain evaluated articles for promotion. Initiatives such as eLife and Peer Community In are already experimenting with these formats, although the distinction between evaluation, curation, and validation remains unclear. To prevent readers from confusing a simply evaluated article with a validated article, PCI advocates for clear, binary validation—acceptance or rejection after evaluation. This PRC model incorporating validation could offer a more transparent, faster, and fairer alternative to the traditional publishing system. 

Denis Bourguet and Thomas Guillemaud are the co-founders and co-managers of Peer Community In, an open, public scientific publishing model independent of journals and publishers, which offers open peer review.