preLights joins the PRC Alliance

Yesterday (28 October) saw the launch of the Publish, Review, Curate (PRC) Alliance, a community-driven initiative working to advance more open, transparent and researcher-centred approaches to scholarly publishing. We’re delighted to announce that preLights is one of the 42 founder members.

The PRC model reimagines scholarly communication by separating the core functions of publishing: researchers first publish their work openly, communities and experts review that work transparently, and organisations and individuals curate research to help readers discover valuable contributions. The aim is to provide a credible alternative to traditional journal-centric publishing systems while increasing openness, transparency and recognition for a broader range of scholarly contributions.

As a platform dedicated to highlighting and discussing preprints, preLights shares many of the values that underpin the PRC movement. By encouraging early-career researchers to engage critically with preprints and contribute to scientific discussion, we aim to support a more open and constructive research culture.

Launch of the PRC Alliance

The PRC Alliance was officially launched yesterday, 28 October 2026 during an online event that brought together researchers, publishing innovators and advocates for open scholarship. The programme featured a keynote by Ludo Waltman and discussions exploring how the PRC model can help shape the future of scholarly communication.

During the launch event, speakers highlighted how the PRC model can help address longstanding challenges in scholarly publishing, including limited transparency in peer review, delays in the dissemination of research and the need for greater recognition of reviewers’ contributions. Transparency is central to the PRC vision, shifting the focus from trust based on journal reputation towards trust grounded in openly available assessment and review. Rather than advocating a single platform or workflow, the Alliance aims to bring together a diverse ecosystem of organisations working across publishing, review and curation, fostering greater coordination and collaboration between existing initiatives – and supporting potential new ones.

As keynote speaker Ludo Waltman noted, “PRC is not the answer to all the challenges we are facing in scholarly publishing… but we do believe it is an important part of the answer.” 

Why preLights is getting involved

At preLights, we believe that scientific research benefits from open discussion, diverse perspectives and early community engagement. Joining the PRC Alliance provides an opportunity to collaborate with and learn from like-minded organisations, and to contribute to conversations around the future of scholarly publishing – helping ensure that researchers, especially early-career researchers, have a meaningful voice in shaping that future.

Learn more

You can learn more about the PRC Alliance and its mission on the Alliance website: https://publish-review-curate.org.