Exploring the current dynamics of preprints

Abstract

Preprints are non-peer-reviewed and publicly available articles for open and transparent research communication. Preprint servers host the submission of such manuscripts, and despite the presence of established preprint servers, their numbers have continued to rise in recent times. A steep increasing pattern in posted preprints and their accommodating servers has been observed over the last decade. In this article, we explored the global trends in the preprint adoption and its involvement in promoting open and transparent research findings across various domains. We further emphasized the importance of preprinting, highlighting its significant impact during the pandemic through effective information sharing, and advocating for its broader integration in scholarly communication.

Keywords:

• Preprint
• preprint servers
• open research
• scholarly communication

Author contributions

The initial conceptualization of this article was led by RRM, with inputs later provided by DM. The original draft was written by RRM and DM, with further contributions from RB and AK. Subsequent review and editing involved all authors.

Acknowledgements

RRM, DM and RB served as ASAPbio fellows for the year of 2022, and thus, discussed the possibilities for writing this manuscript earlier. However, ASAPbio did not have any active role or any involvement in any stage of writing this article. RRM expresses great appreciation to Iratxe Puebla for her critical feedback on the manuscript, which significantly improved the overall quality. Authors express their gratitude to the executive editor of CMRO for their effective and timely communication, as well to all three anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback, which significantly improved the quality of this article.

The preprint version of this article is available on Jxiv at https://doi.org/10.51094/jxiv.613.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

A reviewer on this manuscript declared that they are the co-founder of biorxiv and medRxiv. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no other relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.