Finding preprints
Preprints are preliminary versions of scholarly papers that have not yet undergone peer review. They may have been submitted to journals but have not yet been accepted for publication. Researchers share preprints in discipline-specific repositories.
Preprints allow researchers to quickly share findings and let others identify new developments, especially in rapidly changing fields. Preprints are typically open access, making research findings more available than subscription-based journals. Community feedback on preprints can also improve research reports.
Where to find preprints
Preprints are discoverable in discipline and institutional repositories, Google Scholar and some traditional databases such as PubMed.
The Center for Open Science hosts numerous disciplinary and geographic area preprint archives, and some journal publishers host servers with submitted manuscripts. Some of these journal preprint servers enable open peer review. Wikipedia has produced this comprehensive list of preprint repositories.
Tip
Most repositories and preprint servers only need simple keyword searches.
Discipline and multidisciplinary preprint repositories
The following is a list of discline and multidisciplinary preprint repositories:
- AIJR Preprints: publishes working papers preprints across disciplines.
- OSF Preprints: Open Science Framework multidisciplinary preprint server. OSF supports additional discipline and geographic preprint servers:
- agriRxiv: preprints in agriculture
- EarthArXiv: preprints in earth and planetary science
- engrXiv: preprints in engineering
- MediArXiv: working papers, preprints, post-prints and published papers in media, film and communication studies
- PsyArXiv: preprints in psychology
- SocArXiv: preprints in social sciences.
- arXiv: a large, multidisciplinary preprint repository.
- bioRxiv: preprints in biology.
- ChemRxiv: preprints in chemistry.
- CrimRxiv: preprints in criminology.
- EcoEvoRxiv: preprints in ecology, evolution and conservation.
- EdArXiv: preprints in education.
- medXiv: preprints in medicine.
- PhilSci-Archive: preprints in Philosophy of Science.
- SportRxiv: preprints in sports science.
- SSRN First Look: Social Science Research Network/Elsevier Open Preprint Server for select journals.