Open science fundamentals in 2 minutes, part 4
Prior to the publication of a research article in a journal, you have the option to make it publicly accessible for anyone to view. This can be done on your personal website or through a preprint server like psyarxiv.com, where fellow researchers submit their preprints. This platform is backed by the OSF, ensuring its longevity, and it helps you discover other researchers’ work with ease.
Preprint servers have been utilized in the field of physics for many years, but their use is now expanding across various academic disciplines. Preprints facilitate quick sharing of your research, which is particularly beneficial for those in the early stages of their careers. Preprints are citable, and indexing services like Google Scholar will connect your preprint citations to your eventual journal publication record.
Preprints also enable the review of work (and identification of errors) before it reaches final publication.
What occurs when my paper gets published?
Your work will still exist in preprint form, meaning that there is a no-paywall version available, leading to higher readership and citation rates. If you upload a version of the manuscript after publication acceptance, this is referred to as a post-print.
What about copyright issues?
Typically, journals hold the rights to the formatted, typeset version of your published manuscript. That’s why you’re often prohibited from uploading this formatted PDF to your own website or a preprint server, though you can upload a version with identical text (the layout may differ, but the content is intact).
Will journals reject my paper if it’s already “published” as a preprint?
The majority of journals permit or even promote preprints. A shrinking minority do not. If you’re interested, you can look up the policies of specific journals here.
Am I at risk of being scooped?
Preprints allow you to timestamp your work before it is published, providing a method to establish priority on findings, which helps protect against being scooped. However, if your project requires keeping your work confidential until published, preprints may not be ideal.
When is the right time to upload a preprint?
Upload a preprint at the time of submission to a journal, along with any subsequent submissions and upon acceptance (making it a postprint).
What prevents individuals from posting inferior work to a preprint server?
There’s no mechanism to prevent this, but since your reputation for producing high-quality work is paramount as a scholar, I do not recommend it.
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