One Small Step for Preprints, One Giant Step Forward for Open Scientific Communications

Thanks to our recent partnership with bioRxiv, PLOS authors will have the choice of posting their submitted manuscript on the bioRxiv preprint server on May 1st. Preprints enable authors to accelerate the dissemination of their work and invite commentary by a broader community, which PLOS editors will evaluate as part of peer review.

Posting your work before formal peer review has other significant advantages:

• You can stake an intellectual claim to methods, results and ideas contained within that paper, while obtaining citations.
• Your work can be discovered. Many journals, including PLOS Genetics, use preprint servers to identify and solicit manuscripts.
• Early posting can lead to collaborations by fostering connections with researchers in different disciplines.

Still not convinced of the value of the preprint and its role in accelerating scientific communication? There are a lot of resources on this topic. Here’s a sampling:

• • PLOS Computational Biology’s ‘Ten Simple Rules’ provides a straightforward synthesis of key questions to consider regarding preprint submission
  • Our friends at ASAPbio have led the life science community in conversation about why scientists should consider participating in preprints and what to consider when they do participate. Visit their site for a detailed breakdown of the benefits of preprints.
  • Wondering how PLOS Medicine will proceed with preprints? Read this editorial by our Chief Editor on Progress and Principles.
  • Tired of reading? Watch ‘What is a Preprint’ on YouTube:

PLOS is committed to putting your science first. Please send any questions, concerns or delights that you have regarding preprints to preprints@plos.org following our launch on May 1^st. Publish with PLOS and post your preprint on bioRxiv and let’s keep science open and accessible, together.