March 2025
 

STM and NISO launch Peer Review Terminology website
 

The International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers (STM) and the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) have launched the Peer Review Terminology website, a resource aimed at improving clarity and transparency in the peer review process. This collaborative initiative is working to standardize key terms used in peer review, helping stakeholders to engage with greater confidence and consistency and facilitating greater efficiency in the peer review process.

Designed for publishers and journals, the website features a collection of standardized terms that editors and reviewers can use in their feedback to authors. In addition, the website provides guidelines for promoting transparency in the peer review process, compares practices across journals, and fosters clearer communication among authors, reviewers, and editors. Key features of the site include a terminology guide covering the core elements of peer review, a dashboard for tracking other publishers that have adopted the terminology standards, and a step-by-step guide for publishers and journals to implement the terminology within their own processes.