Non-Standard Publication Venues

A preprint is a research manuscript shared on a public server before a journal’s formal peer-review and publication process has finished. Posting can establish a dated public record, make results available quickly, invite feedback, improve visibility, and help potential collaborators find the work.

Readers need clear status information. A preprint may change substantially after review, and later versions or a journal article may exist. Authors should label the version, link related records, correct important errors, and avoid language that implies completed certification. Readers should assess methods and evidence directly and check for updates.

Before posting, confirm agreement among coauthors and review the target journal’s policy, patent or intellectual-property implications, participant and data protections, media plans, and field-specific server rules. Choose a recognised repository with clear screening, versioning, preservation, metadata, and withdrawal policies. Preprints are one example of a wider set of scholarly outputs that includes datasets, software, protocols, registered reports, and working papers.