Tools and methods of innovation in the open science: open peer review

Abstract

The article offers a first reflection in Italy on the practices of open peer review (OPR), an umbrella term used to refer to several open and innovative ways to exercise the peer review in the scholarly communication web domain. OPR helps to overcome the drawbacks of anonymous traditional peer review. It improves the review process by making it more open and transparent and enhances the dialogue between scientists within the same discipline and between different disciplines. The paper also discusses the topic of the qualitative relevance of OPR. In conclusion, the author claims that OPR is still far from replacing traditional peer review models but it can become a valid support to create a better qualitative research evaluation system.