Most articles published in scientific journals go through the peer review process. A peer reviewed article is research that has been evaluated by editors or other experts in a field associated with a given journal. Once a manuscript has been approved by these extra sets of eyes, the journal can publish an article.
Unfortunately, the publication and peer review process can take a long time.
According to a study published in Nature by Richard Van Noorden entitled “Snail's pace: Nature readers on their longest wait to get published,” out of 3644 researchers, 37% had to wait one to two years to get published. The study actually concluded that “the key to getting papers published faster is for peer reviewers or journal editors to change their working styles.”
To get around this slow process, researchers have gravitated toward posting their research to preprint platforms.
Preprints' popularity has been on the rise. The ease and speed of publishing preprints attracts researchers around the world to preprint platforms.
Preprints have revolutionized the way scientific information is shared. Researchers can upload their work to a preprint server without having to go through the long and drawn out peer review process.
Of course, preprints typically come with a caveat emptor: only people close to the field can properly assess if they can be relied upon...that is to say, most preprints are "unrefereed". But some preprints have actually been through an evaluation process independent of a journal. These are referred to as “refereed preprints”.
In this blog, we explain what it means to be an unrefereed preprint.
Unrefereed preprints
Research that has been posted to a preprint server is typically unrefereed. Unrefereed means that it has not been evaluated by other experts, or “referees”. The vast majority of preprints are unrefereed.
Unrefereed preprints are valuable, even though the research has not been peer reviewed. Researchers in the field can access preprints and provide feedback and critiques without going through a formal peer review process.
Pros:
- Research is shared early
- Researchers can comment and evaluate your work
Cons:
- Research could contain errors
- Research has not been peer reviewed
Refereed preprints
Refereed preprints are preprints that have been reviewed by other researchers in the preprint phase. Researchers can give assessments on a preprint without having to worry about whether it fits in a specific journal. The term “refereed preprints” was coined by Review Commons to refer to preprints that are posted from the start along with reviewer comments in a journal-independent manner.
It’s important to note that refereed preprints are different from peer-reviewed articles. Refereed preprints are still preprints. However, refereed preprints streamline the peer-review process. Peer reviewers can use the journal-independent reviews from preprint platforms for their own reviews.
A refereed preprint is not merely a preprint with a few comments on it. In other words, just because someone has left comments and reviews on a preprint does not mean it is refereed. At minimum, there would need to be a new version that reflects changes based the comments.
Pros:
- Other researchers have seen and critiqued the work.
- The peer review process could take less time.
Cons:
- Many people still do not recognize this type of review process as being equivalent to a journal review process
- As with any review process, the quality is variable and it is not unusual for reviewers to miss critical errors or other issues
How Research Square evaluates preprints
Research Square is a pioneer in the preprint industry. With thousands of preprints posted on the platform monthly, every preprint on Research Square’s preprint platform starts as unrefereed. Research Square allows other researchers to comment on preprints and give feedback. This and other features on the platform promote transparency.
Every article submitted to Research Square goes through a screening process. Our editorial staff checks submissions for the following:
- Appropriate ethics and consent statements
- Absence of patient identifiers
- Disclosure of competing interests
- Inappropriate, alarming, highly controversial, or pseudoscientific claims
- Missing figures or reference lists
Once a manuscript has passed the screening process, it is posted to the platform as a preprint. All preprints have a notice at the top of the webpage that says, “This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice. Content submitted to Research Square is screened by our in-house editorial staff. For more information about our screening process, see our Editorial Policies.”
Research Square is creating new standards transparency in preprints, such as the Methods and Data Reporting Badges. A badge on a preprint indicates that the preprint meets established standards in scientific reporting and the author is presenting the highest quality version of their work.
Comments are another way Research Square promotes evaluating preprints. Research Square’s custom-built commenting system allows researchers and the general public to comment on and critique preprints on the Research Square platform.
All questionable manuscripts go to RS’s Editor in Chief for further screening.
Implications for the future
Refereed and unrefereed preprints are closing the gap between research and the reader. Instead of taking months or years for research papers to reach audiences, manuscripts can be uploaded to a preprint server in just a few days.
The referee process can help authors find the right journal for their work. According to Review Commons, “Authors can reply in detail to a single journal-agnostic assessment. The referee reports can help authors to select a suitable journal for their work, saving them the time spent reformatting and resubmitting a manuscript to several journals.”
Unrefereed and refereed preprints like the ones on Research Square’s platform contribute to faster peer review. Reviewers can use comments from experts on the platform to assess whether or not to publish the research.
Final thoughts
Submitting a research manuscript soon? Learn more about the benefits of preprinting on our Research Square preprint platform and our presubmission tools and services.