Open abstracts: a new peer review feature that helps scholars develop connections and encourages transdisciplinarity

The peer review process has been subjected to a steady stream of criticism in recent years. This has driven certain innovations, from revealing the content of the process post-publication, to crowdsourcing initiatives. Patrick Riechert and Frédéric Dubois introduce a new peer review feature that is currently being piloted on the journal, Internet Policy Review. Authors are invited to submit abstracts for a proposed paper, and will quickly receive two short peer reviews from scholars established in the journal’s community, with the possibility of additional feedback from the crowd. It is hoped this new feature will encourage transdisciplinarity and generational exchange, allow emerging researchers to find their way, and help scholars find one another and develop connections.