STM and NISO Launch Peer Review Terminology Website to Enhance Scholarly Communication

During last month’s Peer Review Week, STM (International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers) announced the launch of the Peer Review Terminology website.

This site follows a collaboration between STM and NISO (National Information Standards Organization), which resulted in the ANSI/NISO Z39.106-2023 standard, Standard Terminology for Peer Review, in July 2023.

Now, the newly launched Peer Review Terminology website aims to standardize the language and definitions used in peer review processes throughout the publishing ecosystem.

In an era where transparency is critical, this standardized language helps authors, reviewers, editors, and readers better understand and compare peer review practices across journals. Formalizing a common terminology enhances transparency, enabling the community to assess and compare practices more effectively. The result is a more efficient and trustworthy peer review system that strengthens the quality and reliability of scholarly research.

Key Features of the Peer Review Terminology Website

• Standard Terminology: A collection of definitions covering core aspects of peer review, such as identity transparency, reviewer interactions, review information, and post-publication feedback. Although initially focused on journal articles, this standard has the potential to expand to other types of research outputs such as books, preprints, and data.

A Standard Terminology for Peer Review

• Adopter Dashboard: This tool tracks publishers that have adopted the standard, offering a real-time snapshot of progress across the industry.

These publishers are in the process of, or have already implemented the Peer Review Terminology in their communication of their journals’ peer review models.

• 5 Steps to Get Started: A clear, user-friendly guide outlining five steps publishers can take to implement the peer review terminology within their processes.

For original press release, please visit this page.

– By Jennifer Gu, Library

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