PIXABAY, JACKMAC34PubPeer, the online post-publication peer review forum, just got an upgrade. The changes to the site include improved readability of comments, increased security for user identities, and identity management features. For example, users can now choose between an anonymous or a signed account. Anonymous accounts will be protected by randomly generated user names and secure keys that are provided by the website.
Over the past few years, PubPeer has faced legal action after former Wayne State University scientist Fazlul Sarkar filed motions to learn the identities of anonymous commentators he was suing for defamation , claiming that they made defamatory comments about his work that cost him a job at the University of Mississippi. But PubPeer’s founders pushed back, winning the case on appeal when the court ruled that the commentators’ identities were protected under the First Amendment.
In the aftermath of the case, PubPeer decided to upgrade its system so that, should the issue arise again, it would not be possible for them to turn over user information, even if the courts ruled differently. “We feel that strong anonymity is very important for effective post-publication peer ...
