Preprint Servers: 5 Key Things to Know

Table of Contents

• Introduction to Preprint Servers
• 1. Unpacking the Concept of Preprint Servers
  • Explanation of “Preprint” and “Preprint Servers”
  • Types of Documents Found on Preprint Servers
• 2. The Evolution and Growth of Preprint Servers
• 3. The Role of Preprint Servers in Scholarly Communication
• 4. Benefits and Limitations of Preprint Servers
• 5. The Future of Preprint Servers: Trends and Predictions
  • Continued Growth in Adoption Across Disciplines
  • Rise of Subject-specific Preprint Servers
  • Integration with Journal Submission Systems
  • Preprint Servers as a Forum for Open Peer Review
  • Adoption of Persistent Identifiers Like DOIs
  • Development of New Metrics to Assess Impact
  • Greater Acceptability in Hiring, Funding, and Promotion
  • Consolidation Among Preprint Servers
  • Integration with Research Workflow Tools
  • Development of Value-added Services
• Conclusion: Embracing the World of Preprint Servers

Introduction to Preprint Servers

Preprint servers are online repositories where researchers can share drafts of their papers before formal peer review and publication in journals. Preprint servers facilitate the rapid dissemination of new findings and ideas throughout the scholarly community by openly making preliminary versions of research manuscripts available.

Preprint servers have risen greatly in popularity across diverse research fields in recent years. An increasing number of scientists, social scientists, and humanists now routinely utilize preprint servers to broadcast their latest work.

Well-known examples of general preprint servers include arXiv, which started in physics but now accepts papers across the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, as well as bioRxiv and SocArXiv for the life sciences and social sciences. There are also numerous field-specific preprint servers. This growth highlights the key role preprint servers play in modern scholarly communication.

Preprint servers accelerate scientific progress by enabling scholars to stake a claim on their work and receive feedback from peers earlier. They also increase the visibility and reach of research outputs. Additionally, preprint servers facilitate open access to scholarship by making papers freely available to all readers. The rising prevalence of preprint servers demonstrates their value in sharing knowledge rapidly and widely.

1. Unpacking the Concept of Preprint Servers

What is a preprint?

A preprint is a version of a research paper that is shared publicly before it has been peer-reviewed and published in a journal. Preprint servers are online platforms that allow researchers to upload and share these preprint versions of their papers.

Explanation of “Preprint” and “Preprint Servers”

“Preprint” refers to a manuscript that has not yet undergone formal peer review. Researchers would circulate preprints among colleagues to receive early feedback before submitting them to a journal for publication. With the advent of the internet and preprint servers, this process has moved online, allowing much wider and more rapid dissemination of preprints.

Preprint servers function as open access repositories where researchers can upload PDFs of their manuscripts to share with the scientific community before formal publication. These servers allow authors to get their research out quickly while still going through the peer review process for journal publication.

Types of Documents Found on Preprint Servers

Preprint servers host a range of unpublished manuscripts across different stages of development:

• Initial drafts to test ideas and get preliminary feedback from peers
• Completed drafts before journal submission to establish precedence
• Revised versions during or after peer review to update findings
• Final manuscripts of published articles for open dissemination

The most common documents are early versions of articles destined for peer-reviewed journals. However, preprint servers also host conference papers, theses & dissertations, data sets, project reports, monographs, book chapters, and other scholarly communication that may not fit into conventional publication models.

Overall, preprint servers facilitate the open sharing of a wide range of scholarly outputs across all stages of development.

2. The Evolution and Growth of Preprint Servers

Preprint servers first emerged in the early 1990s as a way for researchers to rapidly disseminate their findings before formal peer review and journal publication.

In 1991, physicist Paul Ginsparg created arXiv, the first preprint archive focused on physics, to allow for the quick sharing of preprints in his field. The success of arXiv paved the way for similar servers in other disciplines, like the Social Science Research Network (SSRN, later acquired by Elsevier) for social sciences research established in 1994.

The 2000s saw further expansion in preprint servers as more fields recognized their value. In 2013, the nonprofit Center for Open Science launched the multidisciplinary server bioRxiv for biology preprints. Many other niche archives also appeared to meet the needs of specific research communities. A major milestone came in 2016 with the launch of ChemRxiv, bringing preprint servers into the chemistry mainstream.

Recent years have seen unprecedented growth in the number and diversity of preprint servers. The 2010s saw a proliferation of new servers in fields as varied as earth sciences (EarthArXiv), psychology (PsyArXiv), and economics (EconArXiv). Adoption also grew rapidly among researchers. BioRxiv, for example, went from around 1,000 preprints in its first year to over 10,000 by 2017.

Technological improvements have enabled more sophisticated preprint platforms. In 2016, the open-source preprint management system OSF Preprints was launched. It allows institutions and scholarly societies to set up branded preprint servers tailored to their needs easily. The number of OSF Preprints servers grew to over 60 by 2021, further expanding access.

Initiatives to integrate preprints into existing scholarly workflows have also boosted uptake. In 2016, Crossref began assigning digital object identifiers (DOIs) to preprints, making them easier to track. Indexing by Google Scholar and others improved preprint discoverability. The future looks bright for preprints as they become ingrained as a critical part of the scholarly communication ecosystem.

3. The Role of Preprint Servers in Scholarly Communication

Preprint servers have become an integral part of the scholarly communication ecosystem. Preprint servers facilitate the rapid dissemination of new findings and ideas throughout the academic community by providing an open platform for researchers to share early versions of their work.

One of the key ways preprint servers advance scholarly communication is by enabling open access to cutting-edge research. Researchers can upload their manuscripts to these servers and make them instantly available to anyone with an internet connection without waiting months or years for formal peer review and publication. This accelerates the spread of knowledge and allows more researchers to build on the latest advancements in their field.

Preprint servers also promote open science practices. They create transparency around the research process by making preliminary findings accessible. Researchers can get early feedback on their work through open peer review on these platforms. Comments and critiques received at the preprint stage can then be incorporated to strengthen the final manuscript. This enables collaborative scientific discourse.

Additionally, preprint servers facilitate the establishment of priority claims. Time-stamping submissions allows researchers to stake claims on their discoveries and inventions early on. This prevents potential disputes over attribution if similar research is done concurrently by multiple groups.

Finally, preprint servers index and archive academic material over the long term. Even if a preprint is not published formally, it still becomes part of the scientific record. This means valuable research will not disappear from view and will remain available for future consultation.

In summary, preprint servers transform scholarly communication by promoting open science, accelerating discovery, establishing priority, and creating accessible archives. As their use continues to grow across disciplines, they will become even more vital to research and knowledge-sharing.

4. Benefits and Limitations of Preprint Servers

Preprint servers offer several notable benefits, making them an appealing option for researchers looking to disseminate their work quickly and widely.

One of the biggest advantages is the speed of publication – uploading a preprint can make research findings immediately available without having to go through the often lengthy traditional peer review and publishing process. This allows for more rapid sharing of knowledge within the scholarly community.

In addition, preprint servers provide open access to cutting-edge research, allowing papers to reach a much broader audience than just journal subscribers. This increased visibility can lead to more feedback and discussion of the research with a wider range of scholars. Preprints also establish precedence and allow researchers to stake claims to discoveries before formal publication.

However, preprint servers also come with some potential limitations and downsides. One concern is that the lack of traditional peer review means preprints have not yet been thoroughly vetted for accuracy or validity. This creates the risk of promoting flawed or poor-quality research. There are also concerns about scooping of research ideas and plagiarism without the protection of a formal publication record.

Additionally, some fields and journals have policies limiting or prohibiting the discussion of preprints. This can restrict researchers from presenting their findings at conferences or publishing their work in certain journals. Preprints that are eventually published likely go through revisions, meaning multiple versions of the same study may be circulating.

There are also concerns that the media and public may promote dramatic findings from preprints without realizing the preliminary nature of the work. This could lead to misrepresentation or overhyping of results before robust peer review.

While preprint servers provide faster dissemination and open access, researchers must weigh these benefits against limitations like lack of peer review and potential reputational risks. Striking the right balance can allow for productive knowledge sharing while maintaining research quality and integrity.

5. The Future of Preprint Servers: Trends and Predictions

The world of preprint servers is rapidly evolving. Here are some key trends that are likely to shape the future landscape of preprint servers and scholarly communication:

Continued Growth in Adoption Across Disciplines

While preprint servers first became popular in fields like physics, mathematics, and computer science, they are now gaining traction across diverse disciplines. More researchers in the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, and clinical medicine are embracing preprints. This trend will likely continue as preprint servers become an established norm.

Rise of Subject-specific Preprint Servers

In addition to cross-disciplinary servers like arXiv and bioRxiv, we are seeing the emergence of preprint servers for specific subjects like chemistry (ChemRxiv), engineering (engrXiv), psychology (PsyArXiv), and more. This allows communities to develop policies and practices tailored to their field.

Integration with Journal Submission Systems

Some journals are developing direct links between their manuscript submission system and preprint servers to streamline publication. Authors may submit a journal manuscript by converting their preprint with a single click. This integration will make preprint servers more entrenched in the publication workflow.

Preprint Servers as a Forum for Open Peer Review

With preprints’ versioning capabilities, there is potential for preprint servers to host open peer reviews by allowing referees to post public comments linked to a specific version. This could make reviews more constructive and accountable. Some servers are already experimenting with open review models.

Adoption of Persistent Identifiers Like DOIs

Most major preprint servers are implementing DOIs for preprints. This persistent identification system will help preprints get cited, tracked, and integrated into scholarly infrastructures more seamlessly. DOIs also signal that preprints are valid contributions.

Development of New Metrics to Assess Impact

Traditional metrics like the Journal Impact Factor do not work for preprints. New article-level and usage-based metrics are emerging to quantify the reach and influence of preprints based on downloads, shares, citations, and online discussion. These altmetrics may become a more nuanced way to measure impact.

Greater Acceptability in Hiring, Funding, and Promotion

There are moves toward greater acceptance of preprints in hiring, funding, and academic promotion decisions. Funders like the National Istitutes of Health now allow preprints to be cited in grant proposals.

Universities are developing policies to recognize preprints as valid research outputs during hiring and tenure reviews. Such acceptance will cement the role of preprints.

Consolidation Among Preprint Servers

The preprint server landscape is currently fragmented across many niche and general servers. There may be some consolidation in the future, with mergers and partnerships between servers with overlapping scopes. This could simplify the ecosystem for authors and readers.

Integration with Research Workflow Tools

Preprint deposition could be integrated into researchers’ workflow by linking preprint servers with tools like reference managers, lab notebooks, and collaboration platforms. This can make preprint posting a seamless part of the research cycle rather than an extra step.

Development of Value-added Services

Preprint servers will likely move beyond simply hosting articles to offering value-added services like plagiarism screening, language editing, figure preparation, and preprint-journal submission integration. This could position preprint servers as research support platforms.

In summary, preprint servers are rapidly maturing, and their role in scholarly communication will continue to evolve. While there are still challenges around quality control and acceptance, preprints are undoubtedly here to stay and have immense potential to accelerate research dissemination. The future looks bright for preprint servers as they get ingrained into the fabric of modern scholarship.

Conclusion: Embracing the World of Preprint Servers

As we have seen throughout this write-up, preprint servers play an increasingly important role in scholarly communication. By allowing researchers to disseminate their findings ahead of formal peer review quickly, preprint servers facilitate more rapid sharing of knowledge across disciplines. They also provide wider access to cutting-edge research since preprints are often free.

The use of preprint servers continues to grow, with more and more fields adopting these platforms as part of their academic practices. Major preprint servers like arXiv and bioRxiv now host hundreds of thousands of papers spanning sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Preprint servers are here to stay as a critical part of the research workflow.

That said, preprint servers also come with certain limitations around quality control and journal policies. Researchers should educate themselves on best practices for ethical preprint posting and be mindful of potential concerns around scooping or implications for future publication. Overall, though, the benefits seem to outweigh the risks in most cases.

As preprint servers evolve, we expect to see further innovations in areas like open peer review, integration with journal submission systems, and improved metadata and discovery. The future of scholarly communication is open, with preprint servers helping accelerate scientific progress through the rapid dissemination of findings.

For those new to preprints, a whole world is waiting to be discovered. Researchers and academics from all disciplines are encouraged to embrace preprint servers as a valuable tool for sharing their work. By posting preprints, engaging with open commentary, and integrating preprint use into their workflows, scholars can help drive the future of scholarly communication.