The power of preprints
How preprints give researchers greater control, and readers greater insight
Journal peer review and publication adds enormous value, but it does take time. Preprints provide opportunities to share research sooner—to establish priority, broadcast results, seek community feedback, or bolster grant, job or tenure applications.?
At the same time, being open about the evolution of an article can lend insight into the rigor of the review process and help to normalize the many ways in which our understanding of results can develop with input from experts.
What can preprints do for you?
Help facilitate peer review
Preprints open new research to public commenting from a wider, more diverse range of experts, beyond those who might be invited to formal journal peer review. That leads to stronger research articles, with a higher chance of being accepted for publication in the future.?
Demonstrate just how impactful peer review can be
Once an article has gone on to be published in its final form, all versions of the preprint remain, providing a record of just how much expert peer review has shaped the final thinking. Transparency, trust, and access are all linked: preprints help to illustrate how science really works, and that, in turn, supports trust.
Try it for yourself: Are you ready to post your preprint?
Posting a preprint is easy, but there are a few things you’ll want to think about—especially if this is your first post. Are you ready?
On the other hand, we've seen during the pandemic what the risk of preprints are - laypeople getting their hands on unreviewed concepts the plausibility and quality of which they cannot assess, with potentially detrimental consequences for health outcomes.