Preprints are becoming a recognizable part of the scholarly communications landscape. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of preprints made available has increased. The rise of preprints is also related to the open access movement in journal publishing as a whole. This presentation will look at preprints from the perspectives of a journal publisher and an academic librarian. First, we will give the official definitions of open access and preprints as defined by SPARC and PLOS. Next, we will explain the pros and cons of open access and preprints. The benefits for open access include reproducibility, accessibility, high production values, and peer review. The benefits of preprints include accessibility to both lay and academic audiences, no costs to authors, and the option for reviewers to leave comments and suggestions to authors. However, the cons of open access publishing include fees for authors and institutions along with publication delays. Preprints also do not undergo a formal peer review and they are generally not recognized in faculty tenure applications.
Next, we will compare the models of peer review for both preprints and open access journals. Scholars have the option to comment on preprints directly, but the process is much more informal compared to the peer review process as part of the editing cycle within a journal. Additionally, many academics look for a journal’s impact factor. Preprint repositories do not have their own equivalent. Our perspectives on open access and preprints will be of interest to both publishers and librarians.
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