What are the versions of a research paper?
A paper usually exists in three versions, and publisher policies refer to them by name:
- Preprint (submitted manuscript): the author's version before peer review.
- Accepted manuscript (postprint, or author accepted manuscript): the author's version after peer review and acceptance, before the publisher's copy-editing and typesetting.
- Version of record: the final article as published by the journal.
A preprint and a journal article are therefore usually the same research at different stages, not competing kinds of paper. The scientific content can change between them, sometimes substantially, as reviewers ask for new analyses or corrections.
How do preprints and journal articles differ?
| Aspect | Preprint | Journal article |
|---|---|---|
| Peer review | None at posting; servers usually screen for scope and obvious problems only | Reviewed by independent experts before acceptance |
| Time to public | Typically within days | Usually months from submission |
| Cost to publish | Usually free | Free, or an APC for many open-access journals |
| Cost to read | Free | Free if open access; otherwise subscription |
| Citable | Yes, usually with a DOI or stable identifier | Yes, with a DOI |
| Can be updated | Yes, as new versions | Only through formal corrections or retraction |
Why do researchers post preprints?
Researchers post preprints mainly for speed and visibility. A preprint establishes a public, dated record of a finding long before journal publication, which helps establish priority. It invites comments from the whole community rather than two or three reviewers, which can improve the eventual article. It makes the work free to read immediately, and it gives early-career researchers something citable to show on applications while papers are under review.
Funders have come to accept this. The US National Institutes of Health, for example, has allowed interim research products such as preprints to be cited in grant applications since 2017, and several funders now encourage or require preprints for some kinds of research.
What are the risks of preprints?
The main risk is that preprints have not been peer reviewed, so errors that review would have caught are public. Readers, journalists and policymakers may treat preliminary results as established, which matters most for findings with health or safety implications.
Other points to weigh before posting:
- Patents. Public disclosure can affect whether an invention can be patented. Talk to your technology transfer office first if that applies.
- Journal policies. Most journals accept submissions that were posted as preprints, but policies differ between journals and disciplines, especially in clinical medicine. Check the target journal's policy, or Open policy finder, before posting.
- Permanence. A preprint stays public even if the work is later rejected or revised, so post work you are ready to stand behind.
How should you read and cite preprints?
Read a preprint as you would a manuscript sent to you for review: judge the methods and evidence yourself, and do not assume the conclusions are settled. Check whether a newer version or a published journal article exists, since conclusions can change in revision.
When citing, keep the [Preprint] label so readers know the status, and cite the journal article instead when you rely on its peer-reviewed content. The citation guide has a worked example.
How do preprints work on Life of Research?
Choose the Preprint type when depositing. The record is published immediately at an address such as /preprints/42, is labelled as a preprint on its page, and is marked with the status "Preprint" in its structured data, so search engines and readers know it has not been peer reviewed here. Life of Research is a repository, not a journal, and does not peer review any deposit.
When the paper is later published in a journal, edit the preprint's description to add a line such as "Published version: https://doi.org/…", so readers can find the version of record. If the publisher allows it, deposit the accepted manuscript as a separate Journal article record with the journal details and DOI. The record type itself cannot change, because it is part of the permanent address.