Preprints is a platform dedicated to making early versions of research outputs permanently available and citable. We post original research articles and comprehensive reviews, and papers can be updated by authors at any time. Content on Preprints is not peer-reviewed and can receive feedback from readers.

For authors intending to submit, please read the How it Works and Instruction for Authors pages. The majority of research journals allow authors to post on preprint servers such as Preprints prior to publication (see Preprints and Publishing in Peer-Reviewed Journals.

You can search our preprints using our search page, or check the latest preprints from your field. Log in to set up alerts for the newest preprints, or get involved by screening submitted preprints.

We believe in fast dissemination of research. Our simple, quick process ensures that others can read your work as soon as possible. Preprints has the following features:

Multidisciplinary: We cover all research disciplines, you can see the research categories here.

Open access: All preprints are posted with a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, ensuring that authors retain copyright and receive credit for their work, while allowing anyone to read and reuse their work.

Citation via Crossref DOI: For each preprint, authors can choose to register a unique digital object identifier issued by Crossref. This makes them instantly citable and provides a permanent link to the article, even if the URL on our platform changes. New versions of preprints receive a different DOI.

Comment on any article: Authors can receive public or private feedback from readers directly from the preprint abstract page.

Simple submission process: Submitting a preprint only requires basic information, our team of editors will do the rest and post your preprint as soon as possible.

In addition to being searchable from any page on our website, our preprints appear in the following places:

• Europe PMC
• Google Scholar
• Scilit
• SHARE , from the Open Science Framework
• PrePubMed

You can also search the Scilit database of preprints direct from the Preprints search page.

You can comment on preprints and provide author feedback directly on the abstract page, or via the following sites:

• Academic Karma
• PreReview

Preprints seeks to promote diversity among all those using the site. In particular, we encourage those from any background to contribute as an authors, commentators, or to screen manuscripts. We will not tolerate prejudice based on gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, religion, or similar traits that lead to unfair discrimination. If you feel you have suffered prejudice or abuse, please contact any Preprints member of staff. We will take such complaints seriously and take action where necessary and possible.

How can I post my preprint?

Click on the submit preprint button at the top of the page. You will need to create an account if you don’t have one already. Our editors will check the suitability of your paper and most can be posted within 24 hours.

Is my article suitable?

Preprints focuses on original research articles and comprehensive reviews. Editorials, discussion papers, and commentary are usually not suitable. Papers should not have been published in a peer-reviewed venue before, and we recommend against publishing the same paper on multiple preprint servers. See the instructions for authors for more details.

Will a preprint I cite disappear, can preprints be removed?

Preprints with a registered DOI cannot be removed. Please check the withdrawal policy carefully before posting your work. Preprints with a DOI are intended to be permanent, citable objects, so if they are frequently changed or removed they cannot be reliably cited. We therefore restrict the conditions under which they can be removed from our website.

Will a journal accept my paper if it has appeared as a preprint?

In most cases, journal publication will not be affected by posting a preprint. However, there are some publishers that do not consider papers that have already appeared online. We strongly recommend that you check all journals that you might submit to in advance. The preprint policies of many journals and publishers are available on the Sherpa Romeo database.

Who owns Preprints and how is it funded?

Preprints is fully owned and funded by MDPI, an open access journal publisher. It is run on a non-profit basis. You do not need to submit to an MDPI journal in order to post a preprint here, any work is welcome. If you do submit to an MDPI journal, you will be invited to submit to Preprints.org during the submission process.

For any inquiries related to Preprints, please contact [email protected].

Preprints
c/o MDPI
St. Alban-Anlage 66
4052 Basel
Postfach, CH-4020 Basel
Switzerland

Tel. +41 61 683 77 34
Fax: +41 61 302 89 18

Office Hours

8:00-17:00 (GMT +1)

Martyn Rittman
Preprints Director [email protected]

Linghua Ding
Managing Editor [email protected]

For full imprint information, see http://www.preprints.org/imprint.