San Francisco, CA — In a significant move set to transform the landscape of scientific publishing, PLOS Biology has officially announced a new strategic partnership with the Research on Research Institute (RoRI) and the Association for Interdisciplinary Meta-Research and Open Science (AIMOS). This collaboration formalizes PLOS Biology’s role as a partner journal within MetaROR (MetaResearch Open Review), an innovative platform dedicated to enhancing the dissemination and rigorous evaluation of meta-research. MetaROR leverages a novel publish-review-curate model designed to elevate transparency and efficiency in how meta-research studies are peer-reviewed and subsequently shared with the global scientific community.
Meta-research, often described as research on research itself, encompasses the systematic study of research practices, methodologies, and reporting standards. Given the increasing complexity and interdisciplinary nature of scientific investigations, improving peer review mechanisms for meta-research is crucial. By integrating with MetaROR, PLOS Biology pioneers a seamless process where manuscripts undergo peer review on the MetaROR platform before being considered for publication. This approach not only accelerates the trajectory of manuscripts through the editorial pipeline but also significantly enhances the transparency of the peer review process, traditionally cloaked in anonymity and limited accessibility.
The partnership embodies a shared vision among PLOS Biology, RoRI, and AIMOS to drive meaningful reforms in research publishing. Central to this shared mission is the adoption of the publish-review-curate paradigm. This model challenges conventional peer review cycles by allowing authors to utilize already obtained rigorous peer-review reports when submitting their work to partner journals. In practice, this reduces redundant reviewing efforts and eliminates repetitive review rounds, which often delay publication and drain valuable time and resources from both authors and reviewers. For a complex and evolving field like meta-research, such efficiency gains can accelerate dissemination and encourage broader community engagement.
PLOS Biology Editor-in-Chief Nonia Pariente expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, emphasizing the journal’s dedication to advancing open science principles. “As a strong advocate for meta-research, we are pleased to become a partner journal of MetaROR, which will enable us to support this community while advancing Open Science practice,” Pariente stated. She highlighted PLOS Biology’s commitment to reusing pre-existing reviewer reports as a strategy to streamline the publication process and foster a culture of transparency. This partnership, therefore, aligns perfectly with PLOS Biology’s values of inclusivity, accountability, and innovation in scientific communication.
From MetaROR’s perspective, Ludo Waltman, Co-Editor-in-Chief of MetaROR and Co-Chair of RoRI, acknowledged PLOS Biology as one of the earliest adopters to join this transformative effort. “We are grateful for PLOS’ confidence in MetaROR’s publish-review-curate model,” Waltman remarked. He underscored the collaborative potential this partnership creates for driving innovative publishing practices that prioritize openness and efficiency over traditional, often opaque, procedures.
MetaROR’s architecture reflects a breakthrough in scholarly communication technology. It combines a transparent, community-driven peer review system with a curation mechanism akin to post-publication peer review and editorial commentary. This multifaceted framework not only enhances the visibility of the peer review process but also facilitates critical appraisal and reuse of meta-research outputs. By embracing this approach, the scientific community gains access to a richer, more nuanced understanding of how research itself is conducted and validated, fostering improvements in reproducibility and research integrity.
The founding institutions behind MetaROR bring complementary expertise to this endeavor. Established in 2019, RoRI focuses on accelerating research into the very systems and cultures governing scientific inquiry and decision-making. Meanwhile, AIMOS serves as a hub for interdisciplinary researchers committed to enhancing the quality of scientific practice through meta-research and open science interventions. The synergy of these organizations with PLOS Biology’s high-impact publishing platform foregrounds meta-research as a vital and maturing field, deserving attention and rigorous evaluation akin to traditional scientific disciplines.
This partnership also advances the broader agenda of the Public Library of Science (PLOS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming scientific publishing through open access and systemic reform. PLOS champions a future where scientific knowledge is openly accessible, and where the processes shaping this knowledge are as transparent as the science itself. By partnering with MetaROR, PLOS Biology reinforces its mission to integrate open science principles directly into the editorial and peer review workflows, creating virtuous cycles of innovation and trust between authors, reviewers, and readers.
Technically, the integration with MetaROR allows PLOS Biology to receive manuscripts complete with detailed peer-review dossiers from the platform. Editors can then make more informed decisions based on comprehensive and accessible critiques, shortening the time to publication while maintaining the rigor and quality of the review. This model circumvents traditional barriers commonly faced during manuscript resubmissions to different journals, such as the need to initiate new review cycles from scratch. Consequently, the workflow enhances transparency, reduces reviewer fatigue, and elevates the overall quality and reliability of published meta-research studies.
Moreover, the transparent peer-review philosophy embraced by MetaROR resonates with ongoing global conversations around peer review openness. By making reviews structured, publicly accessible, and linked directly to manuscripts, MetaROR illuminates the scholarly dialogue underpinning research development. This openness fosters accountability and constructive community engagement, which are critical in an era where reproducibility crises and publication biases challenge the integrity of scientific literature.
The partnership’s impact extends beyond meta-research itself to influence the broader academic publishing landscape. Through collaboration, PLOS Biology, RoRI, and AIMOS aim to inspire additional journals to adopt open review models and explore interoperable platforms like MetaROR. This momentum aligns with an emerging ecosystem of open science infrastructure designed to reduce inefficiencies and promote interoperability, data sharing, and collaborative knowledge production across disciplines.
In summary, PLOS Biology’s alliance with RoRI and AIMOS to support the MetaROR platform represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of scientific publishing. By ushering in a new era of transparent, efficient, and community-driven peer review for meta-research, this partnership lays a foundation for improved research integrity, accelerated knowledge dissemination, and enhanced collaboration across the scientific enterprise. As the publishing community grapples with balancing quality, speed, and openness, initiatives like MetaROR, backed by leading journals such as PLOS Biology, exemplify the transformative potential of innovation rooted in open science values.
Subject of Research: Meta-research, peer review transparency, scientific publishing practices
Article Title: PLOS Biology Partners with RoRI and AIMOS to Boost Meta-Research Transparency Through MetaROR
News Publication Date: Not specified
Web References: dknutson@plos.org, waltmanlr@cwts.leidenuniv.nl
Keywords: Scientific publishing, Scientific organizations, Research organizations, Peer review, Open access
