Open Science Fundamentals in 2 Minutes, Segment 4
Prior to the publication of a research study in a journal, you can make it accessible for free to everyone. This can be done on your personal website, or alternatively, on a preprint platform, such as psyarxiv.com, where fellow researchers also post their preprints, backed by the OSF, ensuring its longevity and facilitating easy access to others’ research.
Preprint platforms have a long history in physics but are increasingly widespread in other academic fields. Preprints enable swift distribution of your research, which is particularly crucial for early-stage researchers. They can be cited, and indexing services like Google Scholar will connect your preprint citations with the record of your subsequent journal publication.
Additionally, preprints allow for the evaluation of work (and the identification of mistakes) before the final publication occurs.
What occurs when my paper gets published?
Your research remains available in preprint form, meaning there is a version free of paywalls, leading to increased readership and citations. If you upload a manuscript version after it has been accepted for publication, this is referred to as a post-print.
What regarding copyright?
Generally, journals hold the rights to the formatted, typeset version of your published manuscript. This is why you are often prohibited from uploading the PDF of it to your website or a preprint server, yet there is nothing preventing you from uploading a version with identical text (resulting in different formatting but equivalent information).
Will journals reject my paper if it has already been “published” as a preprint?
A majority of journals permit or even promote preprints. A shrinking fraction does not. If you’re curious, you can check specific journal policies here.
Am I at risk of being scooped?
Preprints allow you to timestamp your research prior to publication, establishing priority on your findings, which protects against being scooped. However, if you are working on a project where you prefer to keep it under wraps until it’s published, preprints may not be the best choice.
When is the best time to upload a preprint?
Upload a preprint at the time of submitting to a journal and for each subsequent submission and upon acceptance (transforming it into a post-print).
What prevents people from uploading low-quality work to a preprint server?
There are no barriers to this, but since maintaining a reputation for quality work is among the most valuable assets a scholar possesses, it is not advisable.
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