A preprint is an early version of an academic article. Because they are part of the scholarly record and indexed by various services, withdrawing preprints is not allowed after being posted online.
It’s possible to edit or delete a preprint up until that point. After that, only editors and advisory board members may formally withdraw a preprint. Here, we’ll clarify the point of no return in the preprint publishing process and the rare circumstances where a preprint may be withdrawn. It’s important to understand why these cases might happen, and how to avoid them.
Here, we’ll go over important things like why you might need to withdraw a preprint and how to avoid needing to do this.
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. Preprints allow you to disseminate results, receive early feedback, and secure a time stamp for your work without waiting for a lengthy peer review process. They are citable and receive their own digital object identifier (DOI), enabling them to be stored and discovered in online databases.
Various versions of a preprint can be uploaded to online servers. There, each update is tracked, and previous versions are retained. The ongoing nature of preprints makes it easier for authors to update their research. This is known as “versioning”.
As your work evolves, you are free to update the preprint to reflect new data or insights. Versioning ensures transparency in your research development, helps preserve a complete research record, and enables the community to stay current with your findings.
Why do authors want to withdraw preprints?
Authors may consider withdrawal preprints for several reasons. Understanding these motivations helps you prepare your submission to avoid issues:
- Errors in the manuscript: there are typos, data inaccuracies, or methodological flaws in the paper.
- Journal submission concerns: authors may have a misunderstanding of journal policies and believe a preprint must be removed to submit to a journal.
- Significant changes in findings: authors feel it’s necessary to correct or update the paper.
By considering these concerns in advance, you can avoid the need to withdraw your preprint.
Am I able to withdraw my preprint?
While you are free to update your preprint post-publication, the same cannot be said for withdrawing preprints. There is a point of no return in the preprint publishing process. Let’s clarify when that is now.
Preprints can be edited or deleted up until the time that they are submitted and announced. Once a preprint is published, it’s typically assigned a DOI. Technically, this is the point where preprints cannot be withdrawn. But why?
Well, once a DOI is registered, information (or metadata) about that preprint becomes permanently available. This information converts a preprint into a permanent part of the scholarly record. Additionally, preprints also become citable and discoverable through various databases via this information.
Circumstances for withdrawing preprints
Withdrawing preprints is generally out of the question after being posted online. However, there are rare circumstances where an official removal may be necessary. Preprints may be withdrawn for the following reasons:
- Misconduct by authors, including plagiarism and data fabrication.
- Serious scientific errors that cannot be corrected by updating the paper.
- Where leaving a paper online would constitute an illegal act, including copyright violation.
As we can see, these reasons are significant. Withdrawing a preprint limits legal and ethical risks and is only carried out under the discretion of editors and advisory board members.
Additionally, it’s important to note that preprints will not be removed to allow journal submission. Furthermore, authors should check in advance whether the journal they intend to submit to accepts preprints.
For more information, see the Preprints.org withdrawal policy.
How do I avoid needing a withdrawal?
To ensure your preprint aligns with ethical and scientific standards, follow these tips to minimize the need for withdrawal:
- Double-check your manuscript, verify data accuracy, and ensure all co-authors agree to submission.
- Follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines.
- Confirm that your target journal accepts preprints.
- Use versioning for updates if you discover errors or need to add data.
Ensuring your preprint is ready
It’s important to ensure that your preprint adheres to ethical standards to avoid any potential issues with withdrawal. While preprints are not covered specifically, Preprints.org follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines, and many of the same principles apply, such as:
- Authors must accurately present their research findings and include an objective discussion of the significance of their findings.
- Plagiarism, data fabrication, image manipulation, knowingly providing false information, copyright infringement, false author attributions, attempts to manipulate the screening process, failures to declare conflicts of interest, fraud, and libel are not permitted.
- Posting of submitted materials must not be illegal.
- Manuscripts containing research carried out on humans or experimental animals must follow the Declaration of Helsinki and contain details of approval from a research ethics committee. At a minimum, the project identification code, date of approval, and name of the ethics committee or institutional review board should be cited in the “Methods” section.
- Informed consent of research participants must be secured where necessary, and authors must be able to provide a (redacted) copy of the consent form.
Your preprint should maintain these ethical standards. However, there are also other guidelines to follow when submitting your research. These include specific information on areas such as authorship, formatting guidelines, journal policies, screening, and open access.
For a more detailed list of information, see the Preprints.org instructions for authors.
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