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OpenReview Mirror: Transparent Preprint Registry with Mandatory Feedback

A preprint server alternative that uses a two-tier submission model: Tier 1 (auto-accept all papers with basic metadata checks) creates a permanent, citable record; Tier 2 (optional peer feedback) connects authors with volunteer reviewers who provide structured feedback within 14 days. Rejection is impossible—papers stay published, but feedback is transparent and timestamped. Monetize via institutional subscriptions and reviewer incentives.

SAAS

38 weeks • 70% confidence

Value Proposition

Papers are NEVER rejected—only published with varying levels of feedback. This removes the arbitrary gatekeeping problem entirely while preserving quality signals through transparent, timestamped reviews. Institutions pay to ensure their researchers' work reaches readers immediately, solving both the researcher's priority-staking problem and the institution's research visibility problem.

Target Audience

Researchers in fields with high preprint rejection rates (economics, computer science, biomedical sciences); institutions wanting to support their researchers' publication velocity

Key Features

Tier 1 auto-acceptance: any paper with valid metadata (title, abstract, author affiliation, DOI-ready PDF) is published within 24 hours; no editorial discretion
Tier 2 optional peer feedback: authors can request structured feedback from volunteer reviewers; feedback is published alongside the paper with reviewer name (or anonymous if requested) and timestamp
Feedback template: reviewers answer 5 structured questions (methodology soundness, novelty, clarity, significance, missing references) in 10 minutes; no open-ended essay required
And more, with full implementation detail...

Tech Stack

Django or Node.js backend for paper storage and submission PostgreSQL for metadata and user data AWS S3 for PDF storage Crossref API for DOI minting

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Original Problem

Academic researchers face arbitrary paper rejections from preprint servers without clear feedback or appeal process

Researchers investing months in papers get rejected by SSRN and similar platforms with minimal explanation, killing their ability to share work and establish priority. The rejection process lacks transparency, provides no constructive feedback, and offers no meaningful appeal mechanism, forcing researchers to waste time resubmitting elsewhere or abandoning work entirely. Current solutions (other preprint servers) have identical arbitrary gatekeeping problems.

Score: 17.5%