Preprints
This video describes what a preprint is and why you might want to publish one (3 min.)
Download transcript (Word Document)
What is a preprint?
A preprint is known as the ‘Author’s Original’ version of a manuscript. A preprint is not peer reviewed and published on preprint servers. These are open access repositories where articles are submitted via websites similar to journal manuscript submission systems.
In April 2024 the Gates Foundation refreshed their Open Access Policy to require all foundation-funded manuscripts to be made available as an Open Access preprint with a CC BY licence from January 2025.
The advantages and disadvantages of preprints
Pros:
- Preprints are the quickest way to publish your research, which can speed up discovery in your field
- Preprints enable you to establish an early claim to research findings and share your work openly
- Preprints can be cited in grant application and progress reports, with reviewers being able to read your work ahead of formal, peer reviewed publication
Cons:
- Preprints are more likely to contain errors, poor quality research or misinformation
Does your target journal allow posting of preprints prior to submission?
A quick way to check is to look at the Wikipedia list of academic publishers preprint publication policies.
Which preprint server should you use for your subject area?
The Directory of Open Access Preprint Repositories provides a list of preprint repositories that are available to the research community, including their subject area in the descriptions.
The Open Science Framework (OSF) server OSF Preprints aggregates 30 servers covering 10 subject areas.
What is the preprint submission format?
A preprint manuscript is usually either a single PDF document including the text and any figures/tables or a Word file containing the main text (plus any tables) and separate figure files, from which a single PDF will be created.
Supplemental data is usually submitted in a separate file or files.
As with journal publisher manuscript submission systems, you’ll need to look at the preprint server website for full guidelines and FAQs.
Other considerations
First of all, do you have the agreement of all co-authors to publish a preprint?
Assuming you do, preprint submission requires much of the same information required for a publisher manuscript submission:
- An account, often you can login with an Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCiD)
- Author names and affiliations
- Key words
Some preprint servers can save authors time in submitting papers to journals or peer review services by transmitting manuscript files and metadata directly from the server, which may influence your choice of preprint server.