How the PROM Process Works
PROM peer-review works by engaging third party input in the peer-review process. This is achieved by publishing a draft proposal of a submitted science paper onto our website. This is normally done after a preliminary internal review by our reviewing team to ensure elementary due diligence.
Then the submitted paper shall appear on the PSI website in the form of a PROM draft paper inviting comments from our list of select readers (PSI members notified by email), as well as (on select occasions) by way of a press release statement.
The paper will be open to public review as a PROM PAPER for a period of approximately one month. During that time an open discussion thread will operate within the members' area inside the site (membership is free to all during 2013). The forum's designated discussion thread (see screenshot below) allows members to engage freely in exchanging ideas and remarks. For those commenters who are not PSI members, any such feedback can instead be provided by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and such comments posted manually on the discussion thread by our web team.
Upon such feedback the PSI internal reviewers will re-assess the paper taking into account any and all such comments they believe are valid. They will then recommend, and PSI shall authorize, either publication of the paper in full with the PSI full seal of approval; or we will suggest revisions so that the author may make appropriate amendments. At this stage PSI will then either publish in full or advise at the discretion of PSI, re-submission into the PROM system to repeat the review process.
Reviewers’ Status, Recognition and Remuneration
To compensate our reviewers for their time in doing such work PSI allocates them a 'PSI credit' of a nominal value until such time as it can be monetized at a future date upon PSI acquiring sufficient financial means via paid subscription and/or voluntary donations. Submitting authors are not required to contribute financially. PSI merely requests the author publishes acknowledgments with a message of thanks to the reviewers.
The process aims to be flexible and adaptive to ensure that each submitting author is availed of all comments received. Such comments will be openly posted below the published draft upon editorial inspection.
Our editing team will see to it that the comments process is not abused and will retain the right to delete and/or amend any comments that are inappropriate (by reviewer's discretion). The process allows PSI and the submitting author full control to choose to amend/remove his/her PROM paper and retain editorial priviliges. The outcome will thus be the product of internal and external review presented professionally and respectfully in a public arena.
It is hoped that PROM will stimulate productive discussion on emerging new science and elicit the most helpful constructive feedback possible in both time and cost-effective terms. Of course, like any pioneering process the PROM method may be adapted as we go and we hope authors will work with us if there are any required modifications, with the understanding that our desire is to make constant improvements.
In short, PSI shares with authors responsibility to publish to our highest standards while meeting the falsifiability criterion extolled by Karl Popper and the transparency and verifiability requirements of the scientific method.
