Overview of Open Peer Review Platforms

Open peer review involves making peer reviews and author-reviewer identities public, often alongside the final publication. This promotes transparency and reproducibility. eLife is a prominent example, using an "open review" model where reviews are published with the paper after acceptance. Below, I'll focus on eLife as you specified, then suggest other platforms and steps for submission. Note: Always check the journal's website for the latest guidelines, as policies evolve.

Submitting to eLife

eLife is a nonprofit, open-access journal in the life sciences, covering biology, medicine, and related fields. It pioneered a collaborative review process where editors, reviewers, and authors discuss revisions openly (reviews are posted publicly post-acceptance). Here's how to submit:

• Prepare Your Manuscript:


• Ensure your work aligns with eLife's scope (e.g., significant advances in life sciences; no page limits).


• Follow their guidelines: Manuscripts should be submitted as a single PDF (including abstract, main text, references, figures, and supplements). No cover letter required initially.


• Word count: Flexible, but concise (typically 3,000–5,000 words for articles).


• Data availability: eLife mandates open data sharing (e.g., via repositories like Dryad or Zenodo).


• Preprint encouraged: Upload to bioRxiv or similar before submission for faster dissemination.


• Check Eligibility and Fees:


• No submission fees.


• Article Processing Charge (APC): ~$3,500 USD (waivers available for low-income countries or financial hardship).


• Accepts original research, tools/resources, and replications.


• Submission Process:


• Go to the eLife submission portal: https://submit2.elifesciences.org/.


• Create an account (or log in via ORCID).


• Upload your PDF manuscript.


• Provide metadata: Title, authors, abstract, keywords, and funding info.


• Suggest (but don't nominate) reviewers—eLife selects them collaboratively.


• Submit: You'll get a confirmation email. The process is integrated with their "publish once, review once" model for efficiency.


• Review Timeline and Open Aspects:


• Initial assessment: 1–2 weeks.


• Full review: 2–3 months (includes open discussion between authors and reviewers).


• If accepted, the paper is published immediately with all reviews and author responses made public on the eLife website.


• Rejection rate: ~50–60%; feedback is detailed and constructive.

For detailed instructions, visit eLife's author guidelines: https://elifesciences.org/about/for-authors.

Other Journals and Platforms with Open Peer Review

If eLife isn't a fit, consider these alternatives. Many use platforms like Open Review or integrate with overlay journals:

• eLife Alternatives in Life Sciences:


• PeerJ: Fully open peer review; low APC (~$1,395). Submit at peerj.com. Reviews are public post-publication.


• F1000Research: Post-publication open peer review—publish first, then invite reviews. No APC for initial posting. Platform: f1000research.com.


• Broader Open Review Platforms:


• Open Review (openreview.net): Primarily for conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICLR in AI/ML), but expanding. Authors submit, community reviews openly. Not traditional journals, but great for tech/STEM feedback.


• PCI (Peer Community In): Disciplinary overlay journals (e.g., PCI Evolutionary Biology). Preprints are reviewed openly; positive reviews lead to recommendation. Free. Start at peercommunityin.org.


• Royal Society Open Science: Open peer review option; multidisciplinary. Submit at royalsocietypublishing.org.


• General Preprint Servers with Review Integration:


• bioRxiv/medRxiv: Post preprints, then submit to open-review journals. Some overlay services (e.g., Journal of Open Source Software) provide open reviews.

Tips for Success

• Ethics and Compliance: Disclose conflicts of interest; adhere to COPE guidelines.


• Tools: Use Overleaf for LaTeX formatting (eLife-compatible templates available).


• Challenges: Open review can attract public scrutiny—prepare robust data and responses.


• Track Progress: Most platforms have dashboards for status updates.

If you provide more details (e.g., your field or manuscript type), I can refine this advice. Good luck with your submission!