Peer review is essential to good science – it’s time to credit expert reviewers

Peer review recognition company Publons is set to expand under new owners. Could this boost peer review and stop it being seen as an onerous, thankless task?

Although expert evaluation of research papers and funding applications is still widely regarded as central to the quality control of research, publishers and funders have increasing difficulty getting academics to agree to spend time on what can often be an onerous, thankless task. In short, peer review has problems.

The strain on the system is due in part to worldwide growth in research activity, but also arises because there isn't a universal mechanism for recognising or crediting people for serving as peer reviewers.