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This guide is intended for researchers in the health sciences who are considering posting or citing preprints. It provides an overview of what preprints are, how to share them responsibly, and how to evaluate them as part of the scientific literature.

Preprints

What Are Preprints?

A preprint is a scholarly manuscript shared publicly on an open-access platform before it undergoes formal peer review.

By hosting research on preprint servers, authors make it available immediately to the global scholarly community. This rapid dissemination can be particularly critical in clinical and health sciences, where swift access to new findings may inform patient care and public health.

a chart showing a colorful increase in data

 

 

 

 

Figure: COVID-19 Preprints Across Platforms (2020–2023) 
This figure highlights the diversity of preprint servers used during the pandemic, emphasizing that no single platform dominates. Researchers should select a repository that fits their audience, field, and dissemination goals.

(Fraser, Nicholas; Kramer, Bianca (2020). covid19_preprints. figshare. Software. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12033672.v58)

Additional Resources

Questions? Contact: youngmin.kim@yale.edu

Learn More: Preprints: Accelerating Research from NIH