The pandemic has underlined the significance of open science and spurred further growth of preprinting. Nevertheless, preprinting has been adopted at varying rates across different countries/regions. What is the level of adoption of preprinting and how does this differ across countries/regions? What do researchers see as benefits of preprinting and what are their concerns? What do researchers see as ways to encourage preprinting?
To investigate researchers’ experience with and attitudes toward preprinting, we conducted a survey of authors of research papers published in 2021 or 2022. We find that respondents in the US and Europe had a higher level of familiarity with and adoption of preprinting than those in China and the rest of the world. Respondents in China were most worried about the lack of recognition for preprinting and the risk of getting scooped. US respondents were very concerned about premature media coverage of preprints, the reliability and credibility of preprints, and public sharing of information before peer review. Respondents identified integration of preprinting in journal submission processes as the most important way to promote preprinting.
Presenter
Rong Ni
Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Leiden University; School of Public Economics and Administration, Shanghai University of Finance & Economics