Open Science Takes a Step Forward with Orvium and CWTS (Leiden Univerity) Collaboration

Today, we are announcing the collaboration with the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) from our point of view, after we have shared their perspective on our social media. For the 27th International Conference on Science, Technology, and Innovation Indicators (STI 2023), the CWTS will use Orvium to run the peer-review and publication process.

The CWTS studies scientific research itself and its connections to technology, innovation, and society. Their research focuses on bibliometric and scientometric tools. They are well-known for the annual Leiden Ranking, which is a global ranking of universities based on their research performance and impact, and the "Leiden Manifesto," a set of guidelines and principles for the responsible use of metrics in the evaluation of research. They are hosting the International Conference on Science, Technology, and Innovation Indicators (STI 2023) in September.

The STI is an annual conference that brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from around the world to discuss the latest research, trends, and developments in the field of science, technology, and innovation (STI) indicators. The conference covers a wide range of topics related to STI indicators, including bibliometric analysis, patent analysis, innovation surveys, and science and technology policy evaluation. Their call for papers is still open until the 14th of April, in case you have anything to contribute.

Modernizing Scientific Publishing - "Publish then Review"

On their blog, the CWTS points out how Open Science practices have become a major research interest in the field of science studies. "However, the research practices of the community itself are still quite traditional." - CWTS. Therefore, the researchers at the CWTS have decided to modernize the publishing model in their discipline with Orvium. Inspired by platforms such as F1000Research, eLife, and Peer Community In, which combine preprinting and open peer review, the CWTS is adopting a 'publish, then review' model for the STI-2023 conference.

This model has been native to Orvium's design from its very beginnings, showing how our developers have put their finger on the pulse of the publishing industry. For Orvium, this collaboration with leaders at the edge of the study of scientific technology is a critical opportunity to demonstrate its capabilities. If this group of experts in science technology and innovation adopt our platform, this paves the way for the scientific community at large to embrace these practices.

"Publish then Review," on Orvium

As indicated above, the "Publish then Review" model, also sometimes referred to as "Publish, Review Curate," is native to Orvium's design. But how does it work? On Orvium, all publications are first available as preprints as soon as they pass the initial content moderation from the editors of a community.

Afterward, these preprints can receive reviews from the community directly, and the editors of the community can invite qualified peer reviewers to evaluate the quality of a manuscript. If the reviewers and editors decide that the publication is of high quality and deserves to be "published" in the old terminology, then the manuscript moves from the preprint status to the published status in the community to indicate that it is part of the scientific consensus in said community.

By default, peer reviews are open on Orvium, meaning that the identities of reviewers are displayed alongside their reviews. However, the platform offers degrees of granularity according to the community's "culture". Classic models such as double and single-blind reviews can be enabled. By leveraging these features, the CWTS is able to experiment with the "Publish then Review" model for the first time in STI-2023.

In conclusion, the collaboration between Orvium and the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) marks a significant step forward for open science practices. By adopting the "Publish then Review" model and utilizing Orvium's platform for the STI-2023 conference, the CWTS aims to accelerate the dissemination of new scientific knowledge, increase the value of peer review, and give more recognition to authors and reviewers.

This innovative approach to scientific publishing has the potential to revolutionize the way research is shared and evaluated, and could pave the way for wider adoption of open science practices. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of this collaboration and the continued growth of Orvium's network in the Netherlands and beyond.

If you want to know more about our platform and how it works, we recommend you to read ''Orvium at a Glance''.

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