Preprint resource center

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What is a preprint?

A preprint is a scientific manuscript that is uploaded by the authors to a public server.

The preprint contains data and methods, but has not yet been accepted by a journal. While some servers perform brief quality-control inspections (see details on the practices of individual servers), the author’s manuscript is typically posted online within a day or so without peer review and can be viewed (and possibly translated, reposted, or used in other ways, depending on the license) without charge by anyone in the world. Most preprint servers support versioning, or the posting of updated versions of your paper based upon feedback and/or new data. However, most servers also retain prior preprint versions which cannot typically be removed to preserve the scholarly record. Preprints allow scientists to directly control the dissemination of their work to the world-wide scientific community.

Have more questions about preprints? Visit our FAQ.

Infographics: Learn more about preprints

Learn more about preprints with infographics developed by the ASAPbio Fellows Ana Dorrego-Rivas, Carrie Iwema and Mafalda Pimentel.

Cite as: Dorrego-Rivas, Ana, Iwema, Carrie, Pimentel, Mafalda, & Puebla, Iratxe. (2021). ASAPbio preprint infographics. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5592318

These infographics have been created by the ASAPbio Fellows Sumeet Pal Singh, Christine Ferguson and Umar Ahmad.

Cite as: Dorrego-Rivas, Ana, Iwema, Carrie, Pimentel, Mafalda, & Puebla, Iratxe. (2021). ASAPbio preprint infographics. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5592318

How to publish

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Be an advocate

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5 steps to preprint

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Preprint infographics are also available in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian and Polish.

Cite as: Puebla, Iratxe, Mendonça, Alex, Celotto, Laura, Nai, Corrado, Fumasoni, Marco, & Drangowska-Way, Anna. (2023). Translations of ASAPbio preprint infographics. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7950437

Frequently asked questions

Preprint FAQ

Learn more about submitting preprints, what they mean for scooping, and preprints in general.

(Versión en español, wersja polska, version française, 中文版本)

Preprint FAQ

Infographic explaining different Creative Commons licenses: CC0 waiver, CC BY, -SA, -NC, -ND, and No license. Includes icons and brief descriptions of attribution, share-alike, noncommercial, and no derivatives. Highlights open and closed rights.

Licensing FAQ

Get help choosing a license for your preprint and understanding preprints & copyright.

Licensing FAQ

Preprint toolkits and courses

Preprint policy toolkit for funders

A guide to support funders seeking to develop and implement a preprint policy.

The toolkit includes:

Benefits of preprints for funders
Guidelines on how to incorporate and review the use of preprints into current policies
A preprint policy text document template

Cite as: Puebla, Iratxe, Franco Iborra, Sandra, Fumasoni, Marco, Pereira, Sónia, Proko, Proko, Ranea-Robles, Pablo, & Shafiei Sabet, Saeed. (2023). ASAPbio Preprint policy toolkit for funders. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7704962

Get information on funders that have policies that incorporate preprints.

An image of a document titled Preprint policy toolkit for funders by ASAPbio. The document is angled on a light gray background. Text reads: Developing and implementing a preprint policy and Download the toolkit. A red label says Funder policy toolkit.

Preprint event toolkit

A 10-step guide to organizing and running your own preprint event, in person or online.

The toolkit includes:

An event preparation document template
Email templates to approach possible collaborators and speakers
Tips on how get buy in and promote the event
How ASAPbio can support you with preparations
and more!

Cite as: Puebla, Iratxe, Cabral Costa, João Victor, Đorđević, Ana, Malinda, Raj Rajeshwar, Moglad, Ehssan, Shafiei Sabet, Saeed, & Yona, Clara. (2022). ASAPbio Preprint event toolkit: A 10-step guide to organizing your preprint event. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7433091

Flyer for ASAPbios 10-step guide to organizing your preprint event. It features a red color scheme and an image of a large audience at an event. The guide includes steps like Secure your date and Define your budget.

Preprints and Publishing in the Life and Biomedical Sciences course

A 4-lesson course on preprints and the traditional journal-dependent publication process.

The course modules provide insights into the following topics in the context of the life and biomedical sciences:

An introduction into the evolving publication landscape
Understanding and engaging with preprints
The editorial process and peer review
How to effectively and responsibly communicate scientific research

Flowchart of a research paper submission process. It includes steps from drafting and submitting a manuscript to peer review, rejection or acceptance, and sharing with the community. An alternative path shows journal-independent review and updates.

Videos and further reading

Browse our collection of further readings about preprints.

Watch a recent webinar on preprints organized by ASAPbio Fellows at right, or find more videos in our YouTube channel.

Red book icon with a white horizontal line on the cover, resembling a closed book viewed from the end. The spine is on the left side, and the bottom contains a white rectangle, suggesting a title or label area. The background is white.

See journal practices and policies.

Red icon of a classical building with columns and a triangular roof, resembling a courthouse or government structure, on a white background.

See university policies about preprints.

A red rectangle with a white oval containing the number 1 in the center, resembling a stylized depiction of currency or money.

See funder policies encouraging preprints.

Icon featuring a red checklist with three lines. The first two lines have check marks next to them, indicating completion. The third line has a red circle, suggesting an item that is pending or unstarted.

Explore preprint server policies and practices.

What happens when you preprint?

Hear first-hand stories from biologists and others about the impact of preprinting.

"My preprint got me a faculty job."

“My preprint was the deciding factor when the UT Southwestern hiring committee was deciding whether to give me an interview or not. Once they saw my latest paper on bioRxiv, then they gave me the invitation. I’ll be starting as an Assistant Professor in January.”

Jeffrey Woodruff

Postdoc, MPI-CBG

"Preprinting re-energized publishing for me."

“I felt way more energized by submitting my preprint than I did after final publication… Over two years later!”

Samantha Hindle

Professional Researcher, UCSF

A person with short hair and a beard is smiling while wearing a dark blue shirt with an orange lanyard, standing against a plain light-colored wall.

"It's motivating to see interest in my work."

“I uploaded my master’s thesis to thesiscommons.org, a preprint server for student dissertations. I did not do a perfect job on the thesis and was not 100% proud, but I decided to upload it and include the marker comments anyway. I just checked it the other day and it has been downloaded over a hundred times. As an ECR, it is motivating to see that someone cares about the work I produce.”

Peder M Isager

PhD student, Eidhoven University of Technology

"Preprints are how I walk the walk."

“I couldn’t continue to ask researchers and scholars to participate in open preprints if I wasn’t. So, I have released all my research as preprints, read preprints that have redirected my research, and am proud to serve on the advisory board of the new Library and Information Science Scholarship Archive (LISSA).”

Micah Vandegrift

Librarian, Florida State University

"I want to be part of change."

“I, and also my PI, wanted to support open access and a vital, interacting research community.”

Lena Lampe

Former PhD student, MPI

“I can’t risk delaying the release of my research.”

“Preprints let scientists set the release schedule for their research. I can’t risk having my research’s availability be delayed for years by the journal publication process.

By preprinting, we get our ideas out there, so others can build off of them. In return, we get valuable feedback and attention for our research.”

Daniel Himmelstein

Postdoc, University of Pennsylvania