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eLife and the Collaborative Knowledge Foundation (Coko) have announced a partnership to build a user-driven, open-source submission and peer-review platform.

eLife aims to help scientists accelerate discovery by operating a platform for research communication that encourages and recognises the most responsible behaviours in science. The open-access journal eLife was the first step. The organisation also supports the development of open-source tools, technologies and processes aimed at improving the evaluation, discovery, sharing and consumption of scientific research.

Coko has a similar goal to transform how knowledge is created, produced and reported. It is committed to developing open-source solutions for research communication that foster collaboration, integrity and speed. By joining forces, the two organisations hope to accelerate progress in bringing a modern, fast and user-driven submission and peer-review system.

The platform will be designed to help streamline communications between authors, editors and reviewers at all stages of the submission and review process.

Giuliano Maciocci, eLife’s Head of Product, says: “The tasks of submitting and reviewing a manuscript should not be difficult, and any time spent on the administration of these processes could be better spent on ensuring the quality of the research itself. As such, the design of the system will ensure that all stakeholders are required to interact with it only when their input will have the most impact. Time is an important resource, and we hope our platform will help the publishing process require less of it from both authors and editors.”

Kristen Ratan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Coko, adds: “Modern, digital-first technologies will improve the speed of research. We look forward to working with eLife to deliver the first open-source journals submission and peer-review platform built using the Coko PubSweet framework.”

The new system will be developed to the latest standards of performance and efficiency, with an open modular architecture that others will be able to adapt to their own needs. This approach, similar to that taken with eLife’s own publishing and hosting platform, Continuum, means that modules can be composed in different ways and reused across publishers more easily, and will allow eLife and others to continue building new features depending on user needs.

The system will also be an ongoing effort, developed in the open to allow the community to track, participate and share in the project.

Paul Shannon, eLife’s Head of Technology, says: “When we launched Continuum and eLife 2.0, we addressed part of the challenge to help free up talent and resources, so that the focus could be shifted to new ways of improving the quality of published scientific research. We now have the opportunity to expand on this by working with an organisation that is closely aligned with us in terms of goals and philosophy. Coko really understands the challenges in this space and we’re excited to work with the team on this project.”

To find out more about Coko, please visit: https://coko.foundation

And to learn more about the Coko PubSweet framework, see: https://coko.foundation/technology

Media contacts Emily Packer

eLife

e.packer@elifesciences.org

+441223855373