Nature looks to open up 'black box' of science by publishing peer review files

The scientific journal Nature wants to show people the nitty gritty of academic publishing

The scientific journal Nature wants to show people the nitty gritty of academic publishing.

In a Monday editorial, the journal announced it would include peer review files with the papers it publishes, offering access to once behind-the-scenes processes in which reviewers critique scientific papers and authors respond with changes.

Publishing peer review files at Nature has been optional since 2020; starting Monday, it is now automatic.

“Our aim in doing so is to open up what many see as the ‘black box’ of science, shedding light on how a research paper is made. This serves to increase transparency and (we hope) to build trust in the scientific process,” the Nature editorial said. “Making peer-reviewer reports public also enriches science communication: it’s a chance to add to the ‘story’ of how a result is arrived at, or a conclusion supported.”

Opening up the peer review process is growing more common among scientific journals, but Nature is one of the largest and most influential journals to adopt the practice.