PCI and Peer Community Journal: Highlights of 2025

Here are some highlights of our activities in 2025 (see a graphical summary).

During 2025:

– The number of annual submissions to PCI increased, with 521 submissions across all PCIs (+17% compared to 2024) and 248 preprints recommended (+4% compared to 2024).

– 140 articles (+20% compared to 2024) were published in Peer Community Journal, bringing the number of articles published in this diamond open-access journal to 532 since its launch in November 2021. 

– Peer Community Journal is now indexed in the Web of Science, in addition to Scopus, OpenAlex, Google Scholar, Dimensions, DOAJ, Base, EZB, Free Journal Network, Mir@bel, Semantic Scholar, Free Journal Network, Unpaywall, The Lens … 

– The PCI website was viewed by 28,000 visitors, the highest number recorded since the launch of PCI in 2017.

– Web access to thematic PCIs and PCJ averaged 167,000 and 37,000 per month, respectively. This is 75% and 330% more visits than in 2024! 

– 1,250 scientists from 63 countries have signed the PCI manifesto by which they commit to submit one or several preprints to PCI and to publish them in PCJ. 

– The number of recommenders (i.e. associate editors) across all PCIs has reached 2,800 (+13% compared to 2024).

– 31 new research organisations and libraries have joined the pool of 240 supporters of PCI and Peer Community Journal (+14% compared to 2024). The new supporters include:

• University of Cambridge (UK)
• University of Groningen (The Netherlands)
• University of Göttingen (Germany)
• Université de Toulon (France)
• Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne (France)
• Université de Lausanne (Switzerland)
• Bibliothèque Cantonale et Universitaire (BCU) de Lausanne (Switzerland)
• Universidade do Minho – Unidade de Serviços de Documentação e Bibliotecas (USDB) (Portugal)
• FCCN, digital services of FCT (Portugal)
• Département Santé Animale INRAE (France)
• Département PHASE INRAE (France)
• Département TRANSFORM INRAE (France)
• Département AgroEcoSystem INRAE  (France)
• Département Génétique Animale INRAE  (France)
• Stockholm University (Sweden)
• Institut Català d’Arqueologia Clàssica (ICAC) (Spain)
• Karlstad University (Sweden)
• ETH Library (Switzerland)
• University of Bern (Switzerland)
• Durham University (UK)
• University of Graz (Austria)
• German Psychological Society (Germany)
• Erasmus University Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
• Société Française de Bio-Informatique (SFBI) (France)
• Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne (France)
• Université Marie et Louis Pasteur (France)
• COMUE Toulouse (France)
• ENS Lyon (France)
• La Rochelle Université (France)
• Université Paris-Dauphine – Paris IX (France)
• University Library RWTH Aachen University (Germany)

Financial support ensures the operation and development of PCI and the Peer Community Journal (hosting and development of the websites, subscriptions to services such as Crossref, iThenticate, OVH, etc.) and that the journal remains free for authors and readers.

– Three new PCIs were launched: 

• PCI Plants. This PCI evaluates preprints across all fields of Plants, including any photosynthetic organism. The preprints submitted to PCI Plants may describe empirical or theoretical studies and be based on observations from experiments or nature, or previously acquired data. They may also report the results of verbal, computer, or mathematical models. Studies of methodologies are also appreciated. Perspectives, reviews, opinions and comments on previously published articles are also welcome
• PCI Psychology. This PCI reviews and recommends preprints in psychological science. All article types, including empirical reports (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods), replication studies, theoretical papers, reviews and meta-analyses, perspectives, commentaries, data or software papers, and exploratory reports, are considered.
• PCI Statistics & Machine Learning. This community evaluates preprints dealing with the following subjects:  Statistical/Machine learning theory, Applied statistics, Inferential statistics, Computational statistics, Bayesian statistics, Experimental design, Multivariate statistics, Time series analysis, Survival analysis, Non-parametric statistics, Resampling,  Biostatistics, Spatial statistics, Supervised learning, Unsupervised learning, Semi-supervised learning, Deep learning, Generative AI, Reinforcement learning, Model evaluation and validation, Causal inference, Online learning, Graphs and graphical models, Representation learning, Feature selection & engineering.

The total number of PCIs is now 21. The PCI family continues to grow, and many disciplines remain uncovered. In 2025, we launched a call for the creation of new thematic PCIs. Do not hesitate to reach out if you are interested!

– PCI is now interoperable with DIGITAL-CSIC, in addition to bioRxiv (for PCI Ecology) and HAL. Authors who deposit a preprint in HAL or DIGITAL-CSIC can then make a pre-submission to the PCI of their choice directly. They can also make a presubmission from bioRxiv to PCI Ecology. If the preprint is recommended, HAL, DIGITAL-CSIC and bioRxiv indicate that a PCI has peer-reviewed and recommended it, providing the link to the recommendation. The interoperability between PCI and these repositories was implemented with the support of the French National Fund for Open Science (FNSO) and as part of the Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR) Notify project. In early 2026, PCI will also be interoperable with the institutional repositories of the University of Cambridge (UK) and the University do Minho (Portugal). 

– Resources have increased, and expenses have been maintained as detailed in this post. The financial accounts of the PCI association for 2024 have been certified by an auditor (see the report in French).

– The list of PCI-friendly journals has grown, and many journals have increased their commitment to PCI. As a result, 123 journals are now PCI-friendly, and all of them have agreed to either accept PCI-recommended preprints or reply to the authors within 5-10 days. 

– The PCI team and managing boards have presented and explained  PCI and PCJ during 62 events (seminars and conferences) and organised 4 webinars as part of the quarterly PCI webinar series. This series has received a lot of interest (>400 online attendees and >700 viewers on YouTube)!

Contact us for more information about PCI and PCJ, or to invite us to give a seminar (in any format, length or audience).