The Publish-Review-Curate Model: An Alternative to the Traditional Editorial System

The traditional model of scientific publishing, criticized for its slowness and lack of transparency, is seeing the emergence of two alternatives: peer-reviewed preprints and the Publish-Review-Curate (PRC) model. These approaches are based on the open online publication of preprints, followed by open peer review and, in the case of PRC, curation that selects certain peer-reviewed articles for highlighting. 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 an article that has merely been evaluated with one that has been validated, PCI advocates for a clear, binary validation process—acceptance or rejection following evaluation. This PRC model, which incorporates 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 that is independent of journals and publishers and offers open peer review.