The Rise of Preprints: Should You Post Before Peer Review?
Preprints have transformed the speed at which scientific findings circulate. But posting early comes with real risks and responsibilities. Here is what you need to know before you post.
Preprints — versions of research manuscripts posted to public servers before formal peer review — have existed in physics since the 1990s but have spread rapidly across life sciences, social sciences, and other disciplines since 2020. COVID-19 made preprints mainstream: they were the primary channel through which early pandemic research circulated. That visibility brought both benefits and serious problems. Understanding the case for and against preprinting will help you make an informed decision for your own work.
The Case For Preprints
Speed: Peer review at many journals takes six to eighteen months. Posting a preprint makes your findings available immediately, which is particularly important in fast-moving fields or during public health events.
Priority: A preprint establishes a dated, publicly accessible record of your findings, providing evidence of priority in case of parallel work by other groups.
Feedback: Public preprints can attract informal review and commentary from the community before formal submission, which can strengthen the manuscript.
Open access: Preprints are permanently free to read, regardless of the eventual publication venue.
The Risks and Responsibilities
Preprints are not peer-reviewed. This distinction matters enormously when findings have policy implications, public health relevance, or are likely to be covered by media. Several high-profile preprints during the pandemic were widely cited before being retracted, causing real harm to public understanding. Before posting, ask yourself: would incorrect findings from this work cause harm if they circulated before peer review corrected them?
Not all journals accept submissions that have been posted as preprints — check the journal's policy before posting. Some journals treat preprints as prior publication, which may affect your options. The Sherpa Romeo database provides up-to-date information on journal preprint policies.
Best Practice If You Do Post
Clearly label the preprint as not yet peer-reviewed. Link the preprint to the final published version once available. Update or withdraw the preprint if it contains material errors discovered during review. Resist over-interpreting your findings in the preprint abstract — the same standards of scientific caution apply.
Preprints are a valuable tool when used responsibly. The key word is responsibly: the fact that posting is technically straightforward does not eliminate the author's obligation to consider the implications of releasing unreviewed findings into a world that may not read the fine print.