Academic research often begins with an idea, a question, or a new finding that researchers are eager to share with the scientific community. Preprints provide an opportunity to make this research available early, before formal publication and peer review.
In this preprints collection, we highlight preprints shared on Preprints.org by researchers recognized in Scilit’s 2026 Top Cited Scholars (TCS) list. These works have also been identified by Scilit as Top Cited Papers (TCPs), ranking among the top 1% most cited papers compared with other papers published in the same field and year.
Below, we present two Top Cited Papers from this collection, showcasing research contributions from different fields that have gained significant attention since being shared as preprints and illustrating how early dissemination can become part of a broader academic journey.
Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Life of Higher Education Students: A Global Perspective
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented changes to higher education worldwide, affecting how students learned, interacted, and planned for the future. In the study, Aleksander Aristovnik and colleagues investigated how students experienced these changes across different countries.
Based on a global survey of 30,383 students from 62 countries, the study examined the impact of the pandemic on online learning, academic experiences, emotional well-being, social life, and institutional support. The findings provided insights into the challenges faced by higher education students during a period of rapid transformation.
The preprint was first shared on Preprints.org on 10 August 2020, allowing the findings to become available while the global education community was responding to the pandemic. The study was subsequently published in Sustainability on 13 October 2020.
The research has continued to attract attention, highlighting the value of early access to findings during a rapidly evolving global event.
Flood Prediction Using Machine Learning Models: Literature Review
As climate-related risks increase worldwide, improving flood prediction and risk management has become an important research priority. In this study, Amir Mosavi and colleagues explored how machine learning approaches can contribute to more accurate and efficient flood forecasting.
The review analyzed more than 6,000 research articles and identified 180 influential studies comparing different prediction methods. A key contribution of this work is its systematic analysis of emerging strategies for improving machine learning-based flood prediction models. The authors highlight hybridization, data decomposition, ensemble learning, and model optimization as important approaches for enhancing forecasting performance.
By comparing different methods and summarizing their strengths and applications, this review provides valuable guidance for researchers, hydrologists, and climate scientists in selecting appropriate machine learning techniques for flood prediction tasks. The study also highlights the potential of artificial intelligence to support more effective approaches to environmental risk assessment and disaster management.
Originally shared as a preprint on Preprints.org on 5 October 2018, the study was later published in Water on 27 October 2018.
Explore More Preprints from Highly Cited Scholars
Beyond the featured papers highlighted above, the collection includes additional selected preprints across a range of disciplines. The selected preprints in this collection were shared on Preprints.org by the following researchers recognized in Scilit’s 2026 Top Cited Scholars list:
- Dejan Ravšelj
- Long Chiau Ming
- Nina Tomaževič
- Amir Mosavi
- Ibomoiye Domor Mienye
- Ali A. Rabaan
- William Burgess Grant
- Aleksander Aristovnik
- John Grundy
- Khang Wen Goh
- Lan Umek
From Early Sharing to Lasting Impact
Preprints provide researchers with an opportunity to make their findings openly available at an early stage of the research process.
The studies highlighted here demonstrate how early sharing through preprints can contribute to the visibility and accessibility of research. As these works progressed from preprints to peer-reviewed publications, accumulating continued citation, they reflect the evolving journey of scientific discovery.
Through Preprints.org, researchers can share discoveries with the global scientific community and contribute to the open exchange of knowledge.