Preprints are an integral part of the open access publishing landscape. By forgoing the traditional and lengthy peer review process, they allow academics to disseminate research findings at a much faster rate than they would be able to through journal articles.
Preprints can have significant benefits for young academics. They serve as a means to establish research priority in certain fields and help build an early career researcher’s publication history. In this way, preprints can benefit the reputation and prospects of young academics.
What are preprints?
A preprint is an early or “in-progress” version of an academic article, made freely available online prior to peer review and publication.
With preprints, authors are able to receive external, though unofficial, feedback on the current state of their work. This opens up the reviewing process, meaning that authors can receive constructive criticism and direction much earlier in the research process.
Preprints are also assigned a digital object identifier (DOI), meaning that they can be indexed in online databases for maximum visibility.
These are the basics of preprints. But what tips for young academics are available when it comes to publishing preprints?
How preprints can help young academics
Publishing is a tough landscape, especially for young academics. Researchers with a proven track record of publications tend to be favored, leaving those with less experience facing a greater struggle to get their academic career off the ground. Not only that, but traditional peer review can take as long as 3 months. For early career researchers, this lengthy duration creates a barrier to publication and productivity.
Preprints offer a way around these limitations. Listed below are some of the benefits of preprints:
- Enables academics to establish research priority
- Facilitates discovery and impact through a quick release
- Increased visibility through open access
- Serves as evidence of research productivity
- Chance to receive early feedback from global peers
While a lot of these preprint benefits are helpful to all academics, they are particularly useful tips for young academics.
The fast announcement and increased visibility of preprints provide the necessary platform early career researchers need. Publication takes days, not months. Additionally, the increased visibility of preprints due to open access leads to more citations and mentions. In addition to this, there is also greater public feedback.
Preprints also enable young academics to establish research priority. This means becoming the first to publish key findings within a specific field. This can be incredibly advantageous for an early career researcher looking to establish themselves in their respective research area.
Finally, preprints enable young academics to receive early feedback from peers and readers worldwide. Such openness is especially helpful for young academics who have less experience and perhaps limited research perspectives. This early feedback can help steer a young academic’s thesis in the right direction and in good time.
Considerations when posting a preprint
The benefits of publishing a preprint as a young academic are evident. But there are certain issues to be mindful of when submitting preprints. Here are some of the main tips for young academics:
- Clarity for media and readers
- Understanding the role of peer review
- Checking journal policies
Preprints can attract media attention. The main issue is that news outlets don’t always state when information has been sourced from a preprint article.
Due to the provisional nature of preprint findings, this raises issues. The biggest being that there’s a risk of audiences overstating the credibility of the research. This may lead to issues of misinformation circling unchecked in worse-case scenarios. So it’s helpful to ensure your findings are clearly presented to avoid misinterpretation. This helps maintain the credibility of your research while sharing it with a global audience.
The lack of peer review is also a cause for concern. Preprints are subject to a screening phase and basic ethical checks. This allows for rapid dissemination but means your data and methods are not yet externally validated. Embrace this as an opportunity to gather early feedback from peers worldwide, which can strengthen your work before submitting to a journal.
Many journals now welcome research previously shared as a preprint, supporting the open science movement. However, some may have specific policies. Before posting, confirm that your target journals accept preprints to ensure your work remains eligible for publication. and you can find lists of journals that are preprint friendly. At Preprints.org, we offer a Preprints Friendly Journals program that is open to all peer-reviewed journals. Participating journals will be listed on this page, helping authors quickly identify those that support open scientific communication.
How to submit your preprint
Submitting preprints to Preprints.org is a straightforward process. The following are the most important checks to carry out before posting a preprint:
- Co-authors are aware of and agree to open access posting on Preprints.org.
- Any journals you intend to submit to accept preprints.
- All authors understand the Preprints.org withdrawal policy and that preprints cannot be completely removed once online.
- Experiments with animals, humans, or plants are properly reported and received ethical approval.
- Any necessary copyright permissions have been obtained.
- Research data are available.
When it comes to formatting preprints, any style is allowed for submitted papers. However, if using a journal template, all publisher and journal logos and names should be removed. The first page of your manuscript must contain the title, author list, abstract, keywords, corresponding author contact details, and affiliations for all authors.
All preprints are posted using an open access Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license. This means that the work can be freely downloaded, distributed, and reused, provided that the author and preprint are cited in any reuse. This allows the maximum visibility for the work, while recognizing its authors.
For more information and tips for young academics, see our detailed preprint submission instructions.
Learn more about Preprints.org
There is a growing recognition of preprints across the scholarly publishing landscape. Influential journals and publishers are leading the way, helping to shape broader academic norms.
Ready to share your research with the world? At Preprints.org, we empower researchers to freely and instantly share their work with a global audience. This helps you gain early feedback, boost visibility, and accelerate discovery. Utilized effectively, preprints can become tools that you can use to improve your research and advance your career. Join over 350,000 researchers advancing open science on our accessible, multidisciplinary platform.
Ready to submit? Upload your preprint today and make your work quickly discoverable.
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