Rapid, Impartial and Comprehensive (RIC) publishing: A new concept for scientific journals

TL;DR

The paper proposes the RIC publishing model for scientific journals, emphasizing rapid decisions, transparency through open reviews, and comprehensive presentation of scientific material to improve the publication process.

Contribution

It introduces a novel publishing concept that combines quick editorial screening with open reviews and full transparency of scientific discourse.

Findings

Accelerates publication process with rapid screening.

Ensures transparency by publishing all reviews and revisions.

Provides comprehensive scientific material for the community.

Abstract

Publishing scientific journals governed by editors relying on anonymous peer reviewing is slow (even one round of reviewing involves several communications between authors, editor and reviewers), partial (arguments of authors can hardly overrule those of reviewers) and not using all available scientific material (even the most thorough and insightful reviews remain for the eyes of authors and editors only). Here I propose a new concept for scientific journals that ensures rapid, impartial and comprehensive (RIC) publishing. RIC concept is based on implementation of two novel publishing principles: the first (rapid) editorial screening of a submitted manuscript should result in its either "rejection" or "acceptance with optional revisions", and, in the latter case, the optionally revised (taking into account open reviews) paper should be published along with all (positive and negative) reviews, presenting thereby to the scientific community all available scientific material on the topic in question.