Nature journal reviewers to get credit for their work

The academic publisher Springer Nature is introducing peer reviewer vetting and rewards across 2,000 of its journals.

The vetting system will be provided by Publons, a software company that collates and provides proof of users’ peer reviews. Publons issues ‘merits’ for reviews listed on its system, and its Reviewer Connect product allows journal staff to screen potential reviewers for a conflict of interest and check their availability. 

“Up to a million academics a year generously dedicate hours of their time to provide much-valued input to the research we publish,” Springer Nature’s chief publishing officer Steven Inchcoombe said in a press release on 12 December. He said he hoped other publishers would use the Publons product, allowing researchers to be recognised for their unpaid labour in the service of multiple publishing houses.