Publishing pre-prints
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Last updated
Last updated
A preprint is a scientific manuscript that is uploaded by the authors to a public repository such as or before it is submitted to a journal (or while it is being evaluated for publication in a journal). Lab policy is that, unless there is a compelling reasons, preprints should be uploaded at or before the time or journal submission. Here is an example of a preprint:
Characteristics of preprints:
Preprints become available online almost immediately after their uploading
Preprints are not peer-reviewed and have not yet been accepted in a journal
Preprints can be freely downloaded by everybody
Preprints can be updated as the manuscript evolved (e.g., thanks to the peer review process). This is called versioning.
Why publish preprints?
Publishing in journals can take quite a long time from submission to publication of the online first version. Long publishing times might render results outdated (e.g., systematic literature reviews) or of little social relevance. Moreover, publishing in journals can be biased (e.g., prestige of the researchers or the institutions in which they work, gender, nationality, methods, etc.). Preprints aim to make scientific knowledge accessible to all as soon as it is available.
Benefits of preprinting include:
Increase visibility of research
Priority claim / scoop protection
Proof of productivity (important for funders)
Increase citations
Receive feedback from colleagues
Smoother path to publication (some journals only)
More on preprints:
Steps to publishing a pre-print on the OSF:
Go to PsyArXiv and click on "Submit a preprint"
Upload the manuscript file.
Complete the required information, including the preprint title, author assertions, basic information, discipline information, authors' information, and a Conflict of Interest assertion.
Author assertions: If there is public data or a preregistration available for the study, you can link it to the preprint.
Basic information: Here you can choose a license under which the preprint will be registered. You might want to pick the CC-BY open license that requires people to give you credit for your work if they cite or reutilize parts of your preprint.
Click on “Submit preprint” :-)
Singh, S.P., Ferguson, C., Ahmad, U., & Puebla, I. (2021). ASAPbio Preprint infographics: post your preprint in 5 steps, publishing process, take action in support of preprints. Zenodo.
