Peer Reviewers in Central Asia: Publons Based Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Bibliometrics and Scientometrics
• Scholarly Communication
• Research Integrity

Background:

• The five Central Asian republics (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) are improving research output.
• Limited data exists on the quality of peer review practices in this region.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the landscape of peer review activities in Central Asia.
• To identify the extent of researcher participation in peer reviewing using Publons data.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Publons database to extract data on registered reviewers.
• Analyzed verified peer review counts, Publons award winners, and top universities.
• Examined data overall and on a country-by-country basis.

Main Results:

• Out of 15,764 registered researchers, only 370 (11.7%) have verified peer review records.
• Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan dominate, accounting for over 90% of verified reviewers.
• Significant heterogeneity exists, with Kazakhstan having over 100 active reviewers and 6 award recipients.

Conclusions:

• Central Asia has a notable number of peer reviewers on Publons, but active participation is limited.
• Addressing the disparities between countries requires promoting awareness, international networking, e-learning, and mentoring.