Blog Category: Preprints

A key step in the research process is the communication of researchers’ work to the scientific community. Preprints can bring many benefits to science communication, but the inner workings of the publication process and where preprints fit within the publication life cycle are not always transparent to researchers.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) does not allow researchers to cite preprints in their grant applications and recently disqualified a number of applications for this reason.   Preprints advance scientific discovery and are encouraged b... Citation of any source, regardless of its peer review status, is essential for proper attribution of ideas, and prohibiting the citation of preprints prevents applicants from discussing and building on the latest science.

Good scholarship calls for citing work from which ideas come. But unfortunately, when submitting to a small number of journals, you may be asked to remove a citation to a preprint.

The growth of preprints in the life sciences has amplified earlier concerns about the challenges of keeping abreast of the latest research findings. Researchers need to keep up to date not only with the most recent publications in journals but also with the latest scholarly work posted on preprint servers.

By Victoria Yan Dozens of projects organizing peer review of preprints are active or being developed. In this landscape full of new possibilities, differentiating among innovative forms of preprint review is challenging.

Are you keen to show your passion for science and preprints to the non-scientific community? Got an aptitude for writing or showcasing visual art?