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 accessible for free to anyone interested. You could host it on your personal website, or utilize a preprint server like psyarxiv.com, where fellow researchers also publish their preprints, supported by the OSF, ensuring its longevity, and facilitating the discovery of other research.
Preprint servers have been a resource in physics for decades, but their use is growing across various academic fields. Preprints enable swift sharing of your findings, which is crucial for researchers early in their careers. Preprints can be cited, and indexing services such as Google Scholar will link your preprint citations to your future journal publication record.
Preprints also allow for the review of work (and correction of mistakes) prior to final publication.
What occurs when my paper is published?
Your research remains accessible in preprint format, ensuring a free version exists, leading to increased readership and citations. If you share a version of the manuscript following its acceptance for publication, this is referred to as a post-print.
What about copyright issues?
In general, journals hold the rights to the formatted, typeset version of your published manuscript. This is why uploading the PDF of this version to your own website or a preprint server is often restricted, but you can still upload a version with identical text (though the formatting will differ, the content remains unchanged).
Will journals reject my paper if it’s already “published” via a preprint?
Most journals permit or even promote the use of preprints. A shrinking minority do not. If you are curious, you can look up specific journal policies here.
Will I be scooped?
Preprints allow you to timestamp your research pre-publication, which can help affirm your priority on findings, serving as a safeguard against being scooped. However, if you’re engaged in a project where you prefer to keep your work confidential until publication, preprints might not be appropriate.
When is the right time to upload a preprint?
Upload a preprint at the time of submission to a journal, and for each subsequent submission and upon acceptance (turning it into a postprint).
What prevents individuals from posting inferior work to a preprint server?
There are no restrictions against this, but given that a scholar’s reputation for producing quality work is critical, it is not advisable.
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