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Q. Does the Library have any advice about publishing preprints?

Preprint publishing scenario 1:

I am currently finishing up a manuscript that has a supplementary project which could result in another potential publication. I would like to cite this supplementary publication in the primary manuscript, but I don't want to wait for it to get accepted for publication before submitting the primary manuscript. A teammate suggested we could publish the supplementary project as a preprint, but we don't have any experience doing this.

Would the Library recommend this?
Can the Library suggest an appropriate preprint server?
Might there be any issues with this?

Preprint publishing scenario 2:

My team has a peer-reviewed full-length report completed a couple years ago. We have been trying to get a brief version of the report published and thus far have received some rejections. We're currently in the process of updating the manuscript with plans to publish it in a peer-reviewed journal. However, we need guidance on policies for depositing this work in preprint or institutional repositories before submitting to journals -- because of the time elapsed since we completed the report, we are eager to get it out, but we don't want to jeopardize any future journal submission by first depositing either the full or brief report on medRxiv or the OHSU repository.

Can you advise on whether this would cause us issues with journal publishers?

Answered By: Marijane White

Last Updated: Dec 04, 2023 Views: 14

Publishing preprints is a great way to enhance the visibility of your work. An excellent place to learn more about publishing preprints is the ASAPbio Preprint Resource Center.

The most likely preprint servers for OHSU Researchers are medRxiv and bioRxiv, but each has a limited scope, so potential submitters are advised to review their FAQs prior to attempting submissions:

If medXriv or bioXriv do not seem like the right home for your preprint, ASAPbio has a long list of available preprint servers. If there is not another appropriate discipline-specific server to submit to, you could publish at a generalist server like OSF Preprints, preprints.org, or Zenodo. The directory is downloadable in Excel format, so you might grab a copy to get an overview of the features each server offers.

You could also consider depositing it in our institutional repository (IR), the OHSU Digital Collections, but at present, this may not offer the same level of discoverability on the web as a preprint server might. The Library launched a new platform for our IR in 2023 and we are still in the process of making its content easily findable on the web.

It is difficult to give general advice on publisher or journal policies regarding preprints as they can vary widely. The ASAPbio Preprint FAQ is a good resource for getting an overview of the pros and cons of publishing preprints. They suggest that in most cases, publishing preprints is compatible with submitting manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. It is typical that the same work posted as a preprint is also submitted for peer review at a journal. In fact, medRxiv has a program called M2J where they partner with a variety of journals to allow author submissions directly from their site, which you can learn more about at the bottom of their submission guide. If you have specific journals in mind for future submission, you can look up policies regarding preprints at Transpose. Always check a journal's website for policy specifics or changes prior to submitting!