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September 2017</h1> </div> <div class="hero__bottom"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="page-main"> <div class="page-main__row"> <div class="page-main__col"> <main> <section id="content" class="region region-content"> <div id="block-system-main" class="block block-system clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div id="node-34926" class="node-resource node node-resource "> <div class="node-resource__body"> <div class="sidebar sidebar--offset"> <div class="sidebar__body"> <div class="node-resource__fields"> <div class="field field--doi"> <span class="field-label">DOI:</span> <span class="field-item"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220329024757/https://doi.org/10.24318/rouP8ld4">https://doi.org/10.24318/rouP8ld4</a> </span> </div> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>This COPE discussion document introduces issues and guidance around the ownership of peer reviews. Questions discussed include: who has ownership of peer review comments; who gets to determine whether a review can be made public, and if so, which parties would be required to consent to its publication. The document also covers whether the sharing of reviewer comments breaches the confidentiality or anonymity of peer review, protocols for publishing the names of reviewers, and guidance for potential transfers of reviews of manuscripts that are rejected then submitted elsewhere. </p> <div id="file-20991" class="file file-document file-application-pdf"> <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/web/20220329024757/https://publicationethics.org/file/20991">COPE Discussion document: Who "owns" peer reviews?</a></h2> <div class="content"> <div class="resource-download-inline"> <div class="resource-download-inline__container"> <div class="resource-download-inline__type"> Document </div> <div class="resource-download-inline__description"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220329024757/https://publicationethics.org/files/Who_owns_peer_reviews_discussion_document.pdf" target="_blank">COPE Discussion document: Who "owns" peer reviews?</a> <span class="resource-download-inline__meta">PDF 164 KB</span> </div> </div> <div class="resource-download-inline__shadow"> <div class="resource-download-inline__shadow__inner"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2>Key points</h2> <ul><li>The movement towards greater transparency, accountability and recognition in peer review has led to questions around the ownership of review content.</li> <li>Under copyright law, most reviews would be considered to meet the requirements for an “original work of authorship”, and therefore, the reviewer holds copyright, unless they expressly transfer copyright by written agreement to the publisher.</li> <li>Concepts of “openness” in peer review should not be confused with a “lack of confidentiality”.</li> <li>Any confidentiality assured during the review process should be maintained, upheld and protected even after publication, unless expressly permitted by relevant parties.</li> <li>Authors must be consulted about publication of all pre-accepted works, as they may not wish to see details of earlier versions of their paper revealed via peer review reports.</li> </ul><h2>Podcast</h2> <p>Pete Binfield, Publisher and co-Founder of PeerJ, and Elizabeth Moylan, Senior Editor BioMed Central, discuss "Who owns peer reviews?" in this 2017 podcast.</p> <div> <iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="360" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20220329024757if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/JxStMmN0Rk8?ecver=2" width="640"></iframe></div> <h3>Related resources</h3> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220329024757/https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines/editing-peer-reviews">Editing peer reviews</a> guidelines</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220329024757/https://publicationethics.org/editing-reviewer-comments-forum-discussion-topic-march-2020%20">Editing of reviewer comments</a> Forum discussion, March 2020</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220329024757/https://publicationethics.org/node/47096">Editing of reviewer comments</a> survey, June 2020</li> </ul><h3>Your feedback</h3> <p>COPE welcomes feedback to this ongoing debate from publishers, journal editors, reviewers, researchers, institutions, librarians, funders, and other stakeholders.</p> </div></div></div><ul class="links inline"><li class="comment_forbidden first last"><span><a href="/web/20220329024757/https://publicationethics.org/user/login?destination=node/34926%23comment-form">Login to your account</a> or <a href="/web/20220329024757/https://publicationethics.org/user/register?destination=node/34926%23comment-form">register</a><br>to post comments</span></li> </ul><div class="field field--classifications field--short"><div class="field-label">Core practices:</div><div class="item-list"><ul><li class="first last"><a href="/web/20220329024757/https://publicationethics.org/peerreview" title="View all "Peer review processes" content">Peer review processes</a></li> </ul></div></div> </div> </div> </div> <details class="revision-log"> <summary class="revision-log__summary"> <h2>About this resource</h2> </summary> <div class="revision-log__col"> <div class="revision-log__doi-meta"> <p><strong>Written by </strong>COPE Council<br/><strong>Version 1</strong> September 2017<br/><strong>How to cite this </strong> COPE Council. COPE Discussion Document: Who 'owns' peer reviews? September 2017. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220329024757/https://doi.org/10.24318/rouP8ld4" rel="nofollow">https://doi.org/10.24318/rouP8ld4</a></p> <p>Our COPE materials are available to use under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license<br/><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220329024757/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0</a>/<br/> Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they<br/> endorse you or your use of the work).</p> <p>Non-commercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes. No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. We ask that you give full accreditation to COPE with a link to our website: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220329024757/https://publicationethics.org/" rel="nofollow">publicationethics.org</a></p> </div> <h3 class="revision-log__subhead">Full page history</h3> <ul class="revision-log__entries"> <li class="revision-log__entry"> <div class="revision-log__date">3 February 2022</div> <p class="revision-log__message"> New download component </p> <div class="revision-log__link"> </div> </li> <li class="revision-log__entry"> <div class="revision-log__date">2 February 2022</div> <p class="revision-log__message"> Added link to Version 1: https://publicationethics.org/files/u7140/Who_Owns_Peer_Reviews_Discussion_Document_Web.pdf </p> <div class="revision-log__link"> <a href="/web/20220329024757/https://publicationethics.org/node/34926/revisions/57906/view">View revision</a> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </details> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> </main> </div> </div> </div> <footer 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