This week, we reimagine ePI to transform the way we access and understand medical information and we read about Frontiers’ use of AI tools to protect publication integrity. We also consider the importance of open science indicators as a measure of research impact, celebrate the launch of the Metascience Alliance, and learn how AI could expedite literature reviews. Finally, we signpost a webinar about the use of AI during peer review and share registration information for the 10th International Congress on Peer Review and Scientific Publication.
To read:
Reimagining ePI for the benefit of all via Medical Writing | 10-minute read
Can electronic product information (ePI) become the future of medical communication? This recent article featured in Medical Writing reimagines ePI as an interoperable and informative platform that links product information to a range of supporting medical information resources. The authors (including our own Chris Winchester, CEO of Oxford PharmaGenesis and Co-founder of Open Pharma) consider the pros and cons of this evolution and discuss the vital role that medical writers can play in shaping the future of ePI.
Frontiers integrates AI tools for integrity checks via Frontiers | 3-minute read
“Maintaining trust in the scholarly record demands constant innovation”, states Elena Vicario (Head of Research Integrity at Frontiers). Demonstrating its commitment to such innovation, Frontiers announced early last week that it has integrated Paperpal Preflight, Papermill Alarm and Oversight into its Artificial Intelligence Review Assistant submission screening system. The tools will support Frontiers’ mission to protect research integrity and strengthen the reliability of research communication.
Citations aren’t the whole story – using OSIs to measure research impact via PLOS | 5-minute read
We often see citations as the go-to method of evaluating research outputs and contributions. However, citation counts alone don’t capture the full extent of the impact that research communications – especially non-traditional formats including plain language summaries of publications – can have on science and society. To address this gap, PLOS developed open science indicators (OSIs) to monitor the growth and impact of open science practices. These data from the tenth OSI dataset, which now includes over 166 000 article records, demonstrate the value of preprints, data sharing, code availability and protocol registration as measures of transparency, reproducibility and real world impact.
Launch of the Metascience Alliance via RoRI | 4-minute read
The Metascience Alliance is here! This coalition of more than 25 funders, which was announced at the Metascience 2025 conference, is committed to improving science using science itself. With a research system under pressure from AI, along with diminishing budgets and mistrust in science, the Alliance makes a timely commitment to “strengthen connections, cohesion and community-building”. Learn more about the Alliance in this Nature editorial.
How can we use AI to speed up literature reviews? via Nature | 6-minute read
Systematic reviews are vital for evidence-based decision-making, but – let’s face it – they’re expensive, slow and increasingly vulnerable to the flood of AI-generated content. This radical new approach could offer the answer; a global network of living evidence databases that could support rapid, robust reviews.
To engage with:
Can AI support the peer-review process? via Evidence-Based Toxicology
Join this webinar co-hosted by Evidence-Based Toxicology and the European Business and Technology Centre on 23 July 2025 to explore how AI – if used responsibly – could revolutionize the peer-review process. Guest speakers from hum, the company that created Alchemist Review, and Grounded AI will discuss why peer review is an unreliable guardian of scientific accuracy and how advances in AI could support editors in improving the quality of published research outcomes.
Register for the 10th International Congress on Peer Review and Scientific Publication via JAMA, BMJ and METRICS
It’s time to register for the 10th International Congress on Peer Review and Scientific Publication! Taking place on 3–5 September 2025 in Chicago, Illinois, the congress will provide a platform for original research on peer review, scientific publication and best practices for conducting and communicating research. With both in-person and virtual attendance options, this meeting is open to anyone interested in science communication. Registration is open until 26 August 2025.
Enjoy our content? Read last week’s digest and check out our latest quarterly update!
Don’t forget to follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn for regular updates!