# Open Science Essentials in 2 Minutes: Part 4 – Preprints
The realm of open science is reshaping academia, with preprints serving as a fundamental element of this evolution. For those venturing into the field of research dissemination, grasping the concept of preprints is vital for swiftly sharing your findings, engaging a wider audience, and enhancing the transparency and accessibility of science.
### What Are Preprints?
Preprints refer to the preliminary drafts of research articles that authors disclose publicly prior to peer review and journal submission. These drafts can be posted on platforms like [PsyArXiv](http://psyarxiv.com/), which is part of the Open Science Framework ([OSF](https://mindhacks.com/2017/11/09/open-science-essentials-the-open-science-framework/)), ensuring ongoing access and discoverability.
Though preprint ethics have been well-established in physics for years, their use is rapidly expanding into other disciplines due to their role in hastening scientific dialogue. Preprints enable researchers to present their results as soon as they become available, bypassing the lengthy waiting periods associated with formal publication.
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### Why Use Preprints?
Preprints offer numerous benefits to the research community, particularly for those at the beginning of their careers:
1. **Fast Distribution**: Disseminate your discoveries quickly and connect with your colleagues far ahead of formal journal publication.
2. **Citations and Exposure**: Preprints can be accessed, cited, and cataloged (e.g., by Google Scholar), allowing your work to be recognized even before journal approval.
3. **Input and Quality Enhancement**: Early sharing of your paper enables peers to offer constructive feedback, identify possible mistakes, and assist you in refining your work prior to publication.
In addition to these personal advantages, preprints promote open and transparent science by ensuring knowledge is available to all, free from paywalls or exclusive access.
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### The Journey from Preprint to Publication
Even after your work has been accepted by a journal, the preprint remains a freely accessible version of your research for a wider audience. By uploading the peer-reviewed version of your manuscript that hasn’t yet been journal-formatted (a *postprint*), you maintain accessibility while complying with the copyright policies of most publishers.
### Common Concerns About Preprints
– **Copyright Considerations**: Journals generally retain ownership of the formatted, typeset version of your article, which may restrict your ability to share that specific PDF. Nonetheless, presenting the same material with alternate formatting in your preprint or postprint is typically permissible.
– **Journal Policies**: Most journals allow or even endorse the use of preprints. To verify individual guidelines, check resources like [Sherpa/Romeo](http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/index.php).
– **Fear of Being Scooped**: Posting a preprint timestamps your findings, establishing your priority and safeguarding against being preempted. However, if your work is particularly competitive or sensitive, you may opt to postpone sharing it.
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### Best Practices for Preprints
– **When to Post?** Publish your preprint at the time of journal submission. Refresh it with each new submission and upload the final postprint upon acceptance.
– **Quality is Key**: While preprints lack peer review, your standing as a researcher relies on the caliber of your work. Steer clear of uploading incomplete or premature submissions.
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### The Bigger Picture
Preprints reflect the ethos of open science by enhancing research accessibility, encouraging collaboration, and expediting knowledge transfer. By participating in the preprint ecosystem, you support a model where scientific advancements are shared for the communal good, rather than concealed behind paywalls.
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### More Open Science Resources
This piece is part of a collection discussing the fundamentals of open science. Discover additional topics to broaden your knowledge:
1. [Pre-registration](https://mindhacks.com/2017/11/09/open-science-essentials-pre-registration/)
2. [The Open Science Framework (OSF)](https://mindhacks.com/2017/11/09/open-science-essentials-the-open-science-framework/)
3. [Reproducibility](https://mindhacks.com/2018/01/02/open-science-essentials-reproducibility/)
Whether you are at the onset of your research career or an established expert, adopting preprints is a move toward a more vigorous, collaborative, and transparent scientific environment.