Different Types of Open Access

09 Jul 2025

Preprints and the News

The intersection of media and preprints brings with it many benefits as well as some causes for concern, particularly with preprints in the news. The open access nature of preprints means that pioneering research is free to access online. This openness facilitates the discovery and dissemination of research via various online media channels.

However, because preprints aren’t subject to traditional peer review, this does mean that readers should be notified of the tentative nature of the findings in the research. It’s important that news outlets therefore state that any findings they report on are from a preprint article. Yet news outlets, driven by the urgency of deadlines to keep their news carousels spinning, are not always so attentive to such concerns.

Preprints and the media

Media refers to the different forms of media that disseminate information to the public. Examples of these forms are online news, tv, and newspapers. Generally, ‘the media’ is an umbrella term for all the various news outlets and their different forms of communication.

Preprints are a useful source of information for the media. Media outlets are consistently on the lookout for new information to communicate to their audiences, especially if that information proves to be beneficial to those who encounter it.

Preprints allow for researchers and the public to gain access to important information faster than usual. This expediency supports the quick turnaround of news headlines and the philosophy of breaking news. This philosophy being the earlier the information is released to the world, the better. The use of preprints in the news allows the media to keep ahead of the curve with significant events and developments.

COVID-19 and the rise of preprints

Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic only facilitated this urgency for new and important information. “COVID changed everything”, says Jim Handman, executive director of the Science Media Centre of Canada. But what does he mean by this?

Well, whereas in the past scientific researchers may have been hesitant to publish their research earlier and without peer review, the pandemic necessitated the quick release of vital information. The virus and its effects were unprecedented, and the scientific community’s response had to be aggressive.

During the initial months, and reaching a climax for some preprint servers in May and June of 2020, the rate of pandemic-related preprints being published rose exponentially. Suddenly, preprints were a crucial line of defense against the virus. Scientists could quickly share and gather information and data from all around the world, helping to curb the spread of the virus and facilitating the study of its genetic makeup. The findings from preprints in the news functioned to communicate this information to a global audience.

Issues with preprint coverage

Preprints clearly have real-world benefits. Yet there are specific issues that come with encountering preprints in the news.

The main issue is that news outlets don’t always state that information has been sourced from a preprint article. A study by Science suggests that the public needs to be made aware of the unvalidated and therefore provisional nature of the research being referenced. By not doing so, there’s a risk of audiences overstating the credibility of the research, which may lead to issues of misinformation circling unchecked in worse-case scenarios.

Indeed, a certain paper released in the early days of the pandemic claimed to draw a comparison between COVID-19 and HIV. This led to the fueling of conspiracy theories claiming that the novel virus had been bioengineered in laboratories. In turn, these conspiracy theories entered the news ecosystem. Even though the original paper was formally withdrawn, it’s hard to undo the effects of misinformation.

The pressure media outlets are under only compounds the issue. The media is expected to report objectively and provide the public with factually sound information. However, journalists are under great pressure to provide news stories as quickly as possible. Furthermore, they report in ways that dramatize and therefore potentially misrepresent certain findings.

How to identify preprints in media

For the public and people who might be interested in scientific news, distinguishing the news from solid research result is crucial. Look for statements in news articles, such as “preliminary findings,” “published on a preprint server,” “a preprint study,” or “not yet peer-reviewed.” These can be signals that the research is early-stage and subject to change.

Additionally, if a news article link to a preprint, visit the preprint server to check its peer reviewed status. For example, Preprints.org clearly labels articles with messages like “This version is not peer-reviewed”. They’ll add a “A peer-reviewed article of this preprint also exists” label after review. These labels help readers assess the research’s reliability, fostering trust in platforms like Preprints.org that prioritize transparency.

Example of a preprint and the indication that it is not peer reviewed for the media. — An example of a preprint from Preprints.org showing that it is not peer-reviewed, but that a peer-reviewed version exists.

At the end of the day, we should approach any information we encounter with a critical mindset. A news outlet may indicate the tentative findings are from a preprint. However, this doesn’t mean we should forego verifying and cross-checking the information anyway. In an information-saturated world, this kind of practice should be the norm.

Finding a place for preprints in the world

Evidently, preprints are a crucial part of the way we, whether as researchers or members of the public, encounter new information. For this reason alone, they deserve a place in our world.

What we need is greater awareness surrounding the provisional nature of preprints. We also need media outlets to indicate where necessary that their news stories are based on research that has yet to undergo peer review.

Preprints don’t always mean uncertainty, however. It’s useful to note that preprints do undergo a screening phase with basic ethical checks. Additionally, external academic editors often carry out consultations on the article. While preprints can differ from the versions submitted to journals later down the line, this isn’t always the case. Alice Fleerackers says that, when it comes to preprints, a significant number ‘are basically the exact manuscript that they submitted to a journal.’

So, we should be cautious of the findings in preprints. But we should also be open to their potential foresight and accuracy. By being attentive to both possibilities, the full potential of preprints is thus realized.

Learn more about Preprints.org

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.

Just exploring? Browse over 100,000 preprints across disciplines and stay ahead of the latest research.

Will Preprints Hinder Your Chances of Getting Published?

26 Jun 2025

Learn about Preprints

Will Preprints Hinder Your Chances of Getting Published?

Within academic publishing, preprints are a way of getting research out into the world as quickly as possible. This expedience is enabled by foregoing traditional peer review, a process which naturally raises doubts as to the legitimacy of preprints and authors who publish them.

While there are certain cons to preprints, publishing a preprint can have significant advantages for researchers.

What is a preprint?

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.

Now that we know some of the basics of preprints, let’s have a look at some of the pros and cons of publishing them.

Pros of publishing a preprint

Preprints have a myriad of benefits. From feedback to credibility, there are many ways in which preprints can have a positive impact on both authors and researchers, as well as the academic space in general.

Once they are uploaded, preprints undergo basic screening and are quickly made publicly available. They are usually given a unique identifier, such as a DOI (or a platform-specific ID). This public visibility means the preprint can be discovered and cited online. Researchers sometimes worry that this will trigger plagiarism detection during journal submission, potentially leading to rejection. However, with the growing acceptance of preprints, an increasing number of journals and publishers now recognize their value and have implemented clear policies to support their use.

Publication speed and research priority

Getting research out there as quickly as possible is a big priority for most researchers. As a researcher, becoming the first to publish on a specific topic or issue is important. Not only does it fill a gap in the knowledge, but it also establishes you as a credible source within your chosen research field. This research priority can help increase visibility and open up new opportunities for collaboration with other researchers.

Early feedback

As briefly touched upon, preprints open up the reviewing process by not being restricted to traditional peer review. While this may seem like a negative at first, foregoing the standard reviewing procedure has certain advantages.

The opportunity to receive early feedback is a big benefit of publishing a preprint. Since the preprint will be open access, the author is able to receive comments and reviews from readers around the world. Although the feedback may not be as extensive as that received during peer review, it still provides researchers with constructive criticism and highlights what is and isn’t working thus far in their research.

Screening and basic checks

There’s a common misconception that because preprints are not subject to peer review, this means that they aren’t screened at all.

However, preprints do undergo a screening phase with basic checks. This involves checks to make sure the preprint adheres to ethical requirements, as well as consultations by external academic editors.

Cons of publishing a preprint

While preprints have a lot of benefits, there are also unfortunately some downsides. Even though they are sometimes minor, it is important to understand the negative aspects of preprints.

No traditional peer review

The obvious con of publishing a preprint is the lack of peer review. This causes a lot of concern for authors, especially if they aren’t aware of the basic checks that preprints are still required to undergo.

Despite the lack of peer review, it’s still crucial that scientific research is checked before it enters the ecosystem. Scientific research directly impacts communities. It’s therefore necessary to ensure that nothing that could create ethical issues is given an open access platform.

Both screening and comments from readers both help to ensure that any errors can be addressed and the research improved.

Data and methods not yet vetted

Though preprints undergo basic checks, there’s no thorough and official vetting procedure. This means there is a risk of errors, incomplete data, or flawed analyses being present in a preprint. If left unnoticed, this could potentially lead to instances of misinformation circulating online.

Fortunately, because these preprints are easily accessible, such errors are often quickly spotted. Simply, when errors are found, they can be addressed by the authors and the preprint is updated to reflect this change.

Updated preprints have information about previous versions, so all updates are tracked.

Will Preprints Hinder Your Chances of Getting Published?

Many researchers worry that posting their work as a preprint might be considered duplicate publication. They might also worry that it will negatively affect later submissions to journals. The short answer is no. Different journals have different policies when it comes to accepting them. Preprints wont be considered prior to publication though, so keep that in mind.

Of course, the lack of peer review is a big concern for lots of researchers. However, foregoing traditional peer review doesn’t mean that you’re afraid of your research being criticized or proven wrong. At the end of the day, the fact is that publishing a preprint isn’t going to prevent you from getting published by a journal. In fact, there are many places where you can find lists of journals that are preprint friendly.

Going ahead and turning your research into a preprint, and doing so successfully, can highlight the confidence you have in your research integrity and authority. Publishing a preprint, so long as the research itself is strong, may benefit your future chances of publication success by generating engagement and excitement around your research.

Journals and policies for publishing a preprint

Not only that, but the early feedback gives you the chance to develop your argument before running into issues further down the line. A study of the top 100 clinical journals by impact factor found that 86% of these journals accept manuscripts that have already been posted as preprints. Another 13% evaluate these questions on a case-by-case basis. This particular research found that only one journal does not accept them at all.

A survey of 14 major academic publishers’ preprint policies found that the percentage with a formal preprint policy increased. It increased from 64% in 2017 to 93% by 2024. A major increase in less than ten years.

These publishers not only accept submissions that have been posted as preprints but often encourage them. Many also instruct their editors to exclude preprints from plagiarism checks during the peer review process. For example, Springer Nature explicitly supports preprint sharing, stating, “Posting a preprint is not considered prior publication and does not affect submission to Springer Nature journals.”

For more information on the positive impact of preprints, see our article on why preprints benefit research.

Learn more about Preprints.org

These trends reflect the 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.

Just exploring? Browse over 100,000 preprints across disciplines and stay ahead of the latest research.

What Is Open Access and Why Does It Matter?

18 Jun 2025

Learn about Preprints

What Is Open Access and Why Does It Matter?

What is open access? Why is it so important? Should you be publishing in open access (also called OA) or should you be publishing traditionally?

There are so many questions when it comes to open access publishing as a concept, so here we’ll do our best to go over two primary questions:

What is open access and why does open access publishing matter?

By knowing the answer to these two questions, researchers, authors and academics can make an informed decision when it comes to publishing.

The origins of open access

OA’s history is a little bit hazy. In fact, the idea of this sort of approach to academic publishing goes back decades. As relates to the internet, the origins usually are attributed to one of two things: self-archiving and ftp archives and/or self-archiving arXiv. Which of these origins a person believes is the right one doesn’t matter as much as what they both represent. The idea that journal articles can be made available, online, for free. OA just came a bit later.

This term was formalized in the early 2000s. As covered on Wikipedia, open access was mentioned in the Budapest Open Access Initiative, the Bethesda Statement on Open Access Publishing and the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities.

The concept, established with a bit more structure in the 2000s, continued to quickly expand and grow. Publishing in OA has now become one of the most important academic movements in the last century.

Current day open access

So, what open access is now has evolved from so many years ago. Now, it is one of the dominant academic publishing formats in the world. It is the vehicle by which research is made freely available to all. It doesn’t matter if the reader is an academic, part of a university’s staff, a journalist, or a high school student. All research published in open access is available to all at no cost.

But how is all this research made available for free?

The cost of publication used to be covered by journals, which in turn would make money off subscriptions. Institutions and companies (and the occasional individual) would pay for access to the journal. If only one article was needed, access to that article could be bought for less than a full subscription. Journals were thus more limited in terms of how many articles could be produced.

With open access, the authors (more on this in a moment) cover the cost associated with publication. This is generally referred to as an “article processing charge” or “APC”.

What do APCs do?

Instead of operating on a subscription service, the fees for publication are covered up front. These are covered by the authors of the research, though in many cases, they are actually paid for by the institutions that the authors belong to.

Article processing charges cover the various costs associated with publishing content. Since open access became a major player in the academic publishing world, there have been criticisms of these article processing charges. While some have called it a “pay to publish” medium, many journals take their academic and publishing integrity very seriously.

But salaries and rent need to be paid for at the end of the day, and if one is making research freely available, funding needs to come from somewhere. These article processing charged, while they are paid by authors and institutions, in turn benefit all the authors and institutions (and more) that have free access to the research.

Why does OA matter?

It can actually be very difficult to single out one thing that makes open access “matter”. It actually changes quite a lot of things in the academic landscape.

Open access revolutionized the publishing industry in many critical ways, and there are quite a number of benefits that publishing in OA brings to the table. First of all, and most importantly, it empowers researchers around the world by making knowledge freely available to everyone. Removing barriers to knowledge can foster collaboration an accelerate research. But it isn’t just academics that benefit. Policy makers also have free access to research and knowledge that can help guide stakeholders to better decisions within their own communities. Academics, however, see other benefits. From higher citations to the general democratization of knowledge, academics and researchers can build on the knowledge that came before more easily.

One of the simplest way to view the benefits of OA is that they lower (or remove) barriers. With so many different institutions, people, and organizations around the world, different people benefit differently from open access. For example, open access impacts cutting-edge research and helping to balance out the playing field for the Global South are knock-down impacts of the spread of open access.

Cutting-edge research

Time can make all the difference in the world. Ideas need to be published quickly, especially when faced with crises. While preprints, for example, are not peer-reviewed, that knowledge can be vastly beneficial to the world in the event of important events. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, was a once-in-a-generation event. Had research results been published in traditional formats, vaccines and treatments may have taken significantly longer to be produced.

The speed of publication and dissemination with open access are one of its most powerful benefits.

How open access helps the Global South

Many scholars and institutions in the Global South simply do not have access to the resources that are available to many countries. Getting work published in books and journals can be extremely challenging when faced with such barriers.

In addition to questions related to resources, even the reputation of an institution can have an impact on getting published. Open access, however, can balance this out in a number of ways. Higher citations can be achieved through OA, and many journals are aware of the challenges faced by institutions in the Global South and have programs to help.

Does open access matter to all academia?

In short, yes, it can. As we noted above, it can have very far reaching impacts on a diverse range of stakeholders. But, at it’s core, open access has the ability to democratize scientific communication.

There is more fairness.

There is more accountability.

Research isn’t hidden behind paywalls.

Errors are found more quickly and reputations are thus impacted.

From citations to academic rankings, open access has shown itself to be a powerful tool. But beyond these important factors, OA is far-reaching and can affect many institutions beyond “publishers” and “universities”. Even the ethics of open access are of critical importance and are being discussed all around he world.

For example, the ROSiE project in Europe that aims to foster responsible OA. What are the ROSiE project’s aims?

Identify novel ethical and legal issues, as well as new forms of misconduct and questionable practices brought about by open science.
Analyse them in the context of existing ethical and legal frameworks.
Pinpoint gaps and grey areas.
Integrate ethics and research integrity in open science and citizen science as a structural component.

Clearly the desire to improve on OA to make a brighter future for all is there.

Why does open access matter for preprints?

While not a “traditional” publishing format, preprints represent a continued evolution of academic publishing. Much like academic journals, preprints have also been impacted by open access in meaningful ways.

Simply put, preprints being published in open access facilitates the spread of research findings. It removes barriers to access important (sometimes critical) research, but allows careful records of ownership to exist. This makes it possible for the world to make massive advancements in knowledge in a short period of time. The transition to a peer-reviewed journal can also be straightforward. If you want to learn more about friendly journals that are preprint-friendly, we encourage further reading on the subject.

Because preprints are multidisciplinary in nature, they offer a vast range of information very quickly. For example, for Preprints.org, the time from submission to being online is about 24 hours. This means that the speed of dissemination, early visibility, collaboration, and even feedback come quickly.

While preprints are not peer-reviewed, they are still screened and made available publicly. This helps in finding inconsistencies and problems in research, while allowing countless others to benefit from accurate information. To learn more about preprints, take a look at our FAQ!

Celebrating Research Connections: Highlights from World Book Day Reading List Events

18 Jun 2025

Community Content

Celebrating Research Connections: Highlights from World Book Day Reading List Events

World Book Day, celebrated every April 23rd, is a global tribute to reading and the power of knowledge to connect people across disciplines and cultures. For the research community, it’s a reminder of how shared knowledge drives innovation and collaboration.

This year, Preprints.org joined the celebration by launching a special series of events centered around our Reading Lists feature, designed to help researchers, authors, and readers curate and share preprints. These events celebrated open knowledge, spotlighted community contributions, and fostered new research connections.

We’re recapping the highlights, showcasing standout reading lists, and sharing ways you can continue engaging with the Preprints.org community in this post.

Have feedback? Tell us about your experience with Reading Lists in this quick survey.

A Celebration of Knowledge Sharing

The World Book Day Reading List events brought together a global community of open science advocates. Through two programs, participants explored how reading lists can serve as powerful tools for rapid and collaborative knowledge sharing:

Preprint Reading Marathon

Participants created or favorited reading lists and read as many preprints as they could to unlock Bronze, Silver, or Gold certificates, along with discount vouchers for MDPI Author Services. It made research reading both rewarding and fun.

Reader’s Choice

Reading lists that received favorites from the community were also eligible for certificates and rewards, turning research curation into a celebration of collective insight.

These programs highlighted how flexible and valuable Reading Lists are for organizing research by theme and boosting visibility for emerging work.

By the Numbers: Community Highlights

The response was inspiring. Here’s what the Preprints.org community achieved together:

198 participants joined from diverse research fields
95 reading lists were created, covering topics from AI and agriculture to space propulsion
278 favorites were given, reflecting strong community engagement and the appeal of these curated reading lists
42 certificates and MDPI Author Services vouchers were awarded to these contributors

These numbers reflect more than just participation; they represent a shared commitment to open research and meaningful scholarly exchange.

Spotlight on Community Favorites

Participants brought creativity and insight to their curated lists. Some of the most popular included:

Farmer’s Knowledge | 77 preprints | 26 favorites

Exploring farmer adaptation to modern agricultural technologies.

Green Technologies for Sustainable Crop Production | 33 preprints | 23 favorites

Focused on eco-friendly farming innovations.

The GPT Revolution: Benchmarking, Boundaries, and Breakthroughs | 6 preprints | 18 favorites

Spotlighting ChatGPT’s capabilities, benchmarking GPT-4 against GPT‑3.5 across professional exams, and real-world applications.

Frontiers in Scholarly Communication: From Preprints to AI-Driven Publishing | 9 preprints | 14 favorites

Covering AI-powered peer review, topic selection, citation dynamics, and the future of publishing.

AI and Education | 9 preprints | 12 favorites

Investigating how artificial intelligence is reshaping learning.

Green and Advanced Rocket Propulsion | 5 preprints | 9 favorites

A look into emerging propulsion systems for space exploration.

These themed collections became more than just lists; they served as a starting point for discussion, discovery, and even potential collaborations. To explore more reading lists, visit the Reading List page.

The Social Impact: Strengthening Our Research Community

The value of these events extended far beyond certificates and numbers. Participants actively shared their reading lists on LinkedIn, Bluesky, X, and Facebook, helping spread the word about preprints and open science.

Preprints.org also featured select reading lists on our social media channels, sparking even more conversations and engagement among scholars worldwide.

Stay Engaged with Preprints.org

The momentum doesn’t stop here. There are many ways to keep exploring and contributing:

Create and Share Reading Lists

Whether spotlighting emerging trends or personal research interests, your curated lists can inspire others and promote discovery. Watch this demo tutorial to get started.

Join Upcoming Programs

Stay tuned for new events and initiatives, including our Researcher Voices interview series, where we hear from scholars across disciplines. Interested in being featured? Sign up here.

Explore New Features

We’re continuously improving the Reading List experience and overall platform experience. Follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and X to stay updated.

To everyone who participated in the World Book Day Reading List events, thank you. Your passion for research, reading, and open science made these events a success, and we’re excited to see how our community continues to grow and connect.

Introducing the Search Subscription Feature on Preprints.org

05 Jun 2025

Platform Features

Introducing the Search Subscription Feature on Preprints.org

By introducing the “Search Subscription” feature, Preprints.org is committed to enhancing the discoverability of relevant research for readers. But this landscape is quickly growing, and ever changing. Given the rapid growth in the volume of preprints across diverse disciplines hosted on our platform, staying up to date on the latest preprints can be very challenging. To address this, we are pleased to introduce this new and exciting tool to help our readers. This is a new feature designed to streamline the process of tracking and sharing preprints that are aligned with a reader’s specific research interests.

Time is valuable, so being able to spend less time searching means more time reading.

Elevating Research Discovery

Preprints are an invaluable resource. But they suffer the same problem that peer-reviewed research experiences. Without a good way to filter and search, you might spend a lot of time just trying to find what you’re looking for. To help with this problem, Search Subscription empowers readers to:

Stay Informed: Researchers can directly receive the latest preprints relevant to their defined research interests. This let’s them stay at the cutting edge of research in their fields of interest.
Save Time: Researchers and authors never seem to have enough time. Eliminating the need for repetitive manual searches can be extremely beneficial. By saving search criteria and receiving regular updates, the time saved can be better spent on other things.
Work Together: Preprints believes in collaboration. By sharing customized search criteria with others, researchers can foster collaboration.

Getting Started with Search Subscription

Instead of long and complicated processes, the Search Subscription is quick and easy. Setting it up can be done simply, leading to more effective searches. If you want to use the system, it’s as easy as following these four steps:

Search: Search as you usually would. Use the available filters on Preprints.org to refine the results. Find the research you’re looking for—quickly and easily.
Subscribe: To make sure that you keep the search query for later, click the “Subscribe” button. This allows you to save the search query.
Edit Subscription: Pick a name for your subscription. You can also select your preferred update frequency.
Optional RSS Integration: Do you use an external feed reader? For those who prefer external feed readers, an RSS link is available for direct integration.

Managing Subscriptions

Subscriptions are a powerful tool to stay organized. The Search Subscription feature can help you do just that. Subscriptions can help you to follow cutting-edge research or specific authors. The “My Subscription” section, on your profile dashboard, provides comprehensive control over your subscriptions. Here are options you can control:

Notification Management: While being notified is useful, sometimes you might want to adjust these notifications. Turn email updates on or off as needed.
Edit Details: You can easily modify the search criteria or frequency. Get the results you want, when you want them.
Share with Others: If you find something interesting that you think someone else might like, share it with them. You can easily generate a link to share the search with others.

Seamless Collaboration Through Sharing

Preprints believes in the power of collaboration. Sharing research is simple and perfect for improved collaboration:

Go to “My Subscription”: Click the three-dot menu next to the subscription to share your search.
Copy the Link: Get the unique link and copy it.
Send It Out: Share the link with colleagues, coworkers, friends, or anyone else that you think might be interested in your search. Helping others to find interesting research is one way to collaborate.
Let Them Join: Recipients can then either subscribe to the search directly or import it using their own profile. Sometimes collaboration can be helping someone find the right direction to start from.

Search Subscription Video Tutorial

Need a bit more guidance to effectively use the Search Subscription feature? We have you covered. For a detailed walkthrough of the entire process, check out our video tutorial.

https://preprintsblog.wordpress.sciforum.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2025/06/Tutorial-video_Search-Subscription-Feature_compressed.mp4

In just a few steps, readers can stay on top of the latest research that matches their interests.

We at Preprints.org hope this feature will significantly enhance our readers’ experience.

ChatGPT and Cardiovascular Medicine, Challenges and the Future

04 Jun 2025

Featured Preprints

ChatGPT and Cardiovascular Medicine, Challenges and the Future

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a more acceptable and widespread tool in a variety of areas. Increasingly, ChatGPT is a popular tool in various educational, research, and clinical settings.

This article focuses on a fascinating preprint called, “Harnessing the Power of ChatGPT in Cardiovascular Medicine: Innovations, Challenges, and Future Directions”. This research was done by Marc Leon, Chawannuch Ruaengsri, Glenn J. Pelletier, Daniel Miguel Bethencourt, Masafumi Shibata, Manuel Quiroz Flores, and Yasuhiro Shudo from Stanford University.

ChatGPT and cardiovascular medicine

ChatGPT was launched in 2022 by Open AI and exceeded 100 million active users within two months. In the few years since its release, it has seen significant upgrades and widespread adoption. With each version, the capabilities of AI when it comes to medical knowledge have increased.

In this article, the authors set out to explore the use of artificial intelligence and, in particular, ChatGPT, in medical research, practice, and education related to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). It can be used for all kinds of tasks to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of testing, diagnostics, and treatment.

With a review of retrospective data, the authors explain the different ways in which ChatGPT can enhance treatment outcomes in CVDs.

In their own words:

“This comprehensive review aims to systematically evaluate the innovative applications of ChatGPT in the CVD field, addressing current challenges, discussing future directions for development, and providing valuable insights for the vast patient population and the extensive community of professionals committed to cardiovascular health.”

Harnessing ChatGPT

So, how can ChatGPT be harnessed to improve patient outcomes in cardiovascular diseases?

This article outlines three broad considerations related to the use of ChatGPT in cardiovascular medicine: innovative applications, persistent challenges, and future directions.

Innovative applications using ChatGPT

The innovative applications discussed include enhancing clinical decision-making, innovating medical education, and advancing cardiovascular research. This article emphasizes the different ways that researchers, physicians, and other healthcare workers can benefit from the support of ChatGPT in their everyday work environment.

The authors include comparisons of the decisions recommended by ChatGPT versus the clinicians themselves. They report that the knowledge base of ChatGPT is similar to that of doctors in training. Even without advanced training, it consistently achieved higher than a passing mark on an American medical licensing board. Further, ChatGPT made accurate assessments and recommendations in the majority of cases. It even outscored the diagnostic work of doctors.

They also consider the role of AI in education for healthcare professionals and patients alike. Patients themselves often use online tools, like a Google search or, increasingly, ChatGPT, to do their own research. Some might even use it as a substitute for a healthcare clinician to assess symptoms before seeking out medical advice.

Harnessing AI to improve health literacy and alleviate educational and language barriers can have a significant impact. ChatGPT can improve communication between doctors and patients. One example of this includes helping to simplify and translate often dense medical literature to plainer language. Another is reviewing large amounts of data and providing summaries for public consumption.

Persistent Challenges

The challenges covered in this article include inaccuracies, ethical concerns, and a potential over-reliance on AI tools.

In particular, the authors emphasize the importance of safety for patients and research participants. There are life-threatening consequences of incorrect or late detection or delays in testing and treatments, because of ChatGPT or a human-made error. Therefore, strict ethical guidelines must be designed and followed to provide the most accurate results.

The article also points out potential limitations of this technology, particularly when it comes to being able to offer tailored treatment plans and understand more complicated medical cases.

Future Directions

Ultimately, the authors recommend a focus on real-world and context-specific clinical trials and studies of patients and clinicians dealing with diagnostics and treatment of CVDs. Based on their review of the literature and relevant case studies, the article concludes with five key recommendations:

Expand and improve the training materials used for ChatGPT;
Further develop customized ChatGPT models for different medical specializations;
Ensure appropriate human oversight when using ChatGPT;
Use real-world clinical trials;
Implement rigorous ethical guidelines.

From Preprints.org to publication

Many preprints have gone on to be formally published in many peer-reviewed journals. Originally posted on preprints.org on August 28, 2024, this article went on to be published in MDPI’s Journal of Clinical Medicine on October 29, 2024. Preprints provide a valuable step in the academic process, allowing authors to get valuable feedback on their work. These improved preprints go on to find homes in journals, validating the findings through expert evaluation. Publishing a preprint allows the rapid dissemination of findings to a broad audience, encouraging early feedback and fostering scientific collaboration before formal peer review is complete.

Preprints.org publishes articles from all fields of research that report scientifically sound original research or present a comprehensive review of a field.

Judo, Brain Function and Physical and Cognitive Performance

28 May 2025

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Judo, Brain Function and Physical and Cognitive Performance

October 28th is World Judo Day. It is celebrated on the day of the birth of the sport’s founder, Jigoro Kano.

Each year has a different theme, but the goals are always to promote the moral values of Judo. In recent years, themes such as “Solidarity” and “Inclusion” have been promoted. Judo is an Olympic sport and has been since 1964. It is practiced by millions of people, from children to seniors. Like many sports, it has drawn practitioners for a myriad of reasons. Some people value the discipline that it helps to instill in life. Other people appreciate the ability to defend themselves in the case of an emergency. But all practitioners of this martial art participate in physical activity.

Dr. Takao Yamasaki, an Executive Director and Medical Director at the Department of Neurology, Minkodo Minohara Hospital, prepared a review of the “growing body of evidence showing that multicomponent exercise improves physical and cognitive performance in older adults.”

Dr. Yamasaki breaks up his review into three primary parts. The first discusses judo holistically. Following this, he addresses the benefits that judo has for elderly individuals (both physically and cognitively). Finally, he goes into detail about the possible mechanisms of brain effects (in relation to improvements in physical and cognitive performance in the elderly.

What is judo?

Judo was founded in Japan in 1882 by Prof. Jigoro Kano. Jujutsu, a style of close combat, with blended with elements of mental discipline. In fact, the meaning of the Japanese characters, “柔 (ju)” and “道 (do)” is “gentle way.” Like any martial art, the applications range from self-defense, to sports, to personal improvement and wellbeing. In creating judo, Prof. Kano established eight guiding principles: courtesy, courage, friendship, honesty, honor, modesty, respect, and self-control. In short, judo blends both mental and emotional components with physical elements. Judo aims to use mental and physical strength effectively so that its practitioners cultivate their bodies and spirits.

Judo matches are a mix of of high-intensity actions (like throws) and low-intensity actions (like displacement without contact or pauses). Dr. Yamasaki’s review delves into more details about the duration of activities (often bursts of effort that take up to 20–30 seconds). He breaks down the energy expenditure of these efforts, and helps the reader to understand what the different kinds of actions in judo mean in the context of energy usage.

As he notes from previous work,

“In humans, the energy for muscle activity, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), is produced by three energy systems, phosphagen (ATP-creatine phosphate [CP]), anaerobic (glycolytic), and aerobic (oxidative) systems.”

The impacts of judo

Judo, like many sports, uses energy and this energy expenditure can have long-term effects on the body. Continued exercise has been shown to have a myriad of positive impacts. Some of these health factors are things like bone health and quality of life. Beyond that, however, balance, strength, and walking speed can have positive impacts on people. Looking at psychological impacts is beneficial as well. Dr. Yamasaki notes that the practice of judo can positively impact psychosocial aspects like fear of falling, cognition, and self-efficacy

Judo training and physical and cognitive function in the elderly

Dr. Takao Yamasaki notes in his review that Judo offers diverse advantages. These advantages are across different age groups, genders, and skill levels. Judo encourages active physical behavior and improves quality of life in many ways. This sport enhances both physical and mental health and helps to develop safe falling skills, which in elderly populations can have immense impacts on health.

It is not only effects like improved bone density that can be measured. Psychosocial such as fear of falling, cognition, and self-efficacy can all be seen to be improved. In his review, he observes some of the findings of other research.

Dr. Yamasaki notes that the underlying brain mechanisms of these positive effects need to be explored further. As such, he discusses the brain mechanisms underlying judo training to improve physical and cognitive performance in older adults. Based on the research of others, he draws the conclusion that judo training induces various changes in the brain. In particular, these changes cause functional and structural changes in various brain regions and brain networks.

Conclusions drawn

While its popularity is clear, the benefits to participating in this sport are also evident. Dr. Yamasaki notes that,

[J]udo training has some positive effects on physical (gait and balance, among others) and cognitive (memory and executive) function in the elderly. These positive effects are attributed to various changes in the brain (increase in CBF and BDNF, among others), which in turn cause functional and structural changes in various brain regions and brain networks.

But, crucially, he also points out that further longitudinal intervention studies are needed to confirm these beneficial effects.

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Judo, Brain Function and Physical and Cognitive Performance

What is judo?

The impacts of judo

Judo training and physical and cognitive function in the elderly

Conclusions drawn

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