We are keen to support those in the ASAPbio Community who want to learn more about preprints or who wish to become an advocate about preprints in their communities. Interested in a deep dive into preprints? Want to learn what the buzz is about preprint review? Seeking to drive forward your own preprint initiative? Then…
Many servers, including bioRxiv, support commenting (see details under “other features” in the Preprint Server Directory). Papers are also discussed on Twitter and on independent sites and services such as PubPeer, PreLights, and PREreview (see ReimagineReview for additional projects).
Today, in tandem with the release of a preprint entitled “A systematic examination of preprint platforms for use in the medical and biomedical sciences setting,” we’re happy to present a searchable directory of preprint platforms relevant to life sciences, biomedical, and clinical research. You can use this directory to identify a preprint server that fits…
Open dialog is a major potential benefit of using preprints, and it can help authors, readers, reviewers, and others in a variety of ways. In order to mitigate the potential effects of unprofessional commentary, many servers moderate their comment sections. However, all stakeholders, including authors and readers, can play a role in encouraging constructive commentary.…
The following have been raised as possible negative consequences of preprints. Poor quality and irreproducible data will be posted in preprint form. Scientists will rush out data pre-maturely to claim priority and get credit. Scientists will try to “scoop my work” if I post as a preprint. Reporters and other non-specialist will use the findings…
There are many options. bioRxiv has been steadily growing in preprints posted per month since 2014, and the more recently-launched Research Square (populated by the In Review service used by Springer Nature) has been rapidly expanding. medRixv is a sister to bioRxiv hosting clinically-relevant preprints. Each server varies in its disciplinary scope, screening and withdrawal policies,…
You do not and you should be aware that it could be flawed. However, you should apply a similar wariness to journal publications since peer-review often misses important flaws in papers. Preprint commentary by experts in the field, whether in the preprint server’s comment section, on a third-party review site, or on social media, can…
In the physics community, preprints posted on arXiv clearly establish priority of discovery since they have a time stamp, are publicly available and are widely cited (for more on arXiv, see Paul Ginsparg’s comments on scooping). An article on the topic of priority in the life sciences community by Ron Vale and Tony Hyman has…
Most journals allow citation of preprints in the reference list of the article in question, similar to journal articles. The NIH has recommended a preprint citation format that makes clear the status of the work as a preprint and includes its DOI. While ArXiv does not use DOIs, they have their own persistent identification system.
Version 1.0, 2020-04-15 Community Guidelines ASAPbio’s Community Guidelines outline the behavior and the values that we aim to uphold as a Community, they represent the way in which we commit to engage with each other. The guidelines represent ASAPbio’s commitment to providing a welcoming and productive experience for all members of our community. The good…
While all preprint servers relevant to life sciences currently allow readers to access the text for free, many preprints do not conform to the original definition of open access, which allows redistribution and reuse. In order to enable these functions, authors can choose to apply a Creative Commons license. For more information, see our Preprint…
There are legitimate concerns that preprint servers may become venues for posting and providing some validation for “pseudoscience,” low-quality research results, or even papers that pose serious ethical or national security concerns. Many preprint servers screen papers before posting. arXiv has faced these issues with climate science and has largely managed to block or mitigate…
Preprints, like journal articles, are considered public disclosures, which can affect a patent application. Therefore, if you intend to file an application to patent work disclosed in your paper, discuss the situation with your technology transfer office before preprinting.
ASAPbio provided the following response to the OSTP RFI on Public Access to Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Publications, Data and Code Resulting From Federally Funded Research (85 FR 12949). The deadline has been extended to May 6. Re: Request for Information: Public Access to Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Publications, Data and Code Resulting From Federally Funded Research (85 FR…
Before preprinting, we suggest completing the following steps: Double check journal policies on when and where preprints may be posted. Choose a preprint server. Consider visibility, funder recommendations, and features like preservation and indexing, which are cataloged in the Preprint Server Directory. Choose a license. Get all authors on board with preprinting. Refer to the…
Prepare your manuscript as carefully as you would for a journal submission, if not more so. In bioRxiv, all versions submitted are retained and can be viewed. Unlike a journal submission, which will be seen by only two or three anonymous peer reviewers, your posted preprint is public and the scientific community will be able…