Paul Ginsparg, Can Peer Review be better Focused? (2003)

Abstract: If we were to start from scratch today to design a quality-controlled archive and distribution system for scientific and technical information, it could take a very different form from what has evolved in the past decade from pre-existing print infrastructure. Recent technological advances could provide not only more efficient means of accessing and navigating the information, but also more cost-effective means of authentication and quality control. I discuss relevant experiences of the past decade from open electronic distribution of research materials in physics and related disciplines, and describe their implications for proposals to improve the implementation of peer review.