Open Science Fundamentals in 2 Minutes, Part 4
Prior to the publication of a research paper in a journal, you can make it accessible for anyone to read without charge. This can be done on your personal website, or alternatively, on a preprint server, like psyarxiv.com, where fellow researchers also contribute their preprints, which is backed by the OSF, ensuring its longevity, and facilitating the discovery of others’ research.
Preprint servers have been utilized for many years in the field of physics, but are increasingly prevalent in the broader academic community. Preprints enable swift sharing of your research, which is crucial for those at the beginning of their research careers. Preprints are citable, and indexing platforms like Google Scholar will associate your preprint citations with the record of your subsequent journal article.
Preprints also allow for work to be assessed (and mistakes identified) prior to final publication.
What occurs once my paper is published?
The preprint version of your work remains accessible, meaning there is a version available without a paywall, thereby increasing the likelihood that it will be read and cited. If you submit a version of the manuscript after it has been approved for publication, this is referred to as a post-print.
What is the situation with copyright?
In most cases, journals hold the formatted, typeset version of your published manuscript. Consequently, you are typically not permitted to upload the PDF version to your own site or a preprint server. However, you are free to upload a version with the same content (though the formatting may differ), as long as it contains the same information.
Will journals reject my paper if it is already “published” via a preprint?
The majority of journals permit, or even promote preprints. A shrinking number do not. If you’re interested, you can look up specific policies of journals here.
Am I at risk of being scooped?
Preprints enable you to timestamp your work prior to publication, thereby serving as a record to establish priority on a discovery, which acts as protection against being scooped. However, if your project requires confidentiality until you are published, preprints might not be ideal.
When is the right time to upload a preprint?
Upload a preprint at the time of submission to a journal, as well as for each subsequent submission and upon acceptance (resulting in a postprint).
What prevents the upload of poor-quality work to a preprint server?
There is no mechanism to stop this, but because your reputation for producing quality research is one of the most valuable assets a scholar has, I suggest against it.
Helpful resources:
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