Preprint

Overview

A preprint is a complete manuscript that authors post publicly before it has completed formal peer review. Preprints make findings available immediately and let the community read and respond.

How preprints work

1. Authors upload a manuscript to a preprint server.
2. The work becomes publicly readable, often with a citable identifier.
3. Readers can comment, and authors can post revised versions.
4. The paper may still be submitted to a journal for peer review.

Benefits

• Speed — results circulate without long publication delays.
• Openness — anyone can read the work for free.
• Feedback — informal review can improve the paper before formal review.

Things to keep in mind

A preprint has not necessarily been peer reviewed, so readers should evaluate the methods and evidence carefully.