Preprints

A preprint is the version of a scientific manuscript that authors upload to a public server before it undergoes formal peer review in a journal (as described in: Preprints for the life sciences. Science 352, 899–901; 2016. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf9133). 

The journal accepts the submission of manuscripts previously disseminated through public preprint servers that assign a persistent digital identifier (DOI), regardless of whether such servers are operated by for-profit or non-profit entities. Prior dissemination as a preprint will not be considered prior publication of the manuscript.

All manuscripts previously disseminated as preprints will undergo the journal’s complete editorial process, including external peer review, in accordance with its current editorial policies.

At the time of submission, authors must inform the journal of the existence of any previous version of the manuscript deposited in a preprint server and must provide:

  • the name of the preprint server;
  • the DOI assigned to the preprint; and
  • the corresponding public link.

A statement regarding the preprint must also be included in the Acknowledgments section or after the abstract. Authors may use the following wording:

“A previous version of this manuscript was disseminated as a preprint on [server name]. DOI: [insert DOI]. Available at: [insert public link].”

In addition, authors must cite the preprint in the reference list.

When a manuscript previously disseminated as a preprint is subsequently published by the journal, authors must update the preprint record, whenever the functionalities of the corresponding server allow it, by including the full citation and DOI of the final published version of the article (version of record). This update must clearly indicate that the article has been peer-reviewed and published in its final version, in order to direct readers to the official version of record. Removal of the previously deposited preprint will not be required.

The deposit and public dissemination of the version submitted for evaluation (submitted version), the accepted version of the manuscript (accepted version), and the final published version of the article (version of record) are governed by the journal’s Repository and Self-Archiving Policy.