The Preprint Workflow Revolution

There was a revolution in how scientific discoveries are being reported. Increasingly more scientists and researchers at the moment are importing early drafts of their analysis papers to on-line repositories referred to as preprint servers. Historically, a preprint is a model of a analysis article that’s made obtainable to different researchers earlier than formal peer evaluate takes place. Preprints have been generally obtainable in sure disciplines for many years; for instance, the arXiv preprint server was began in 1991 and has served as a well-liked repository for preprints in physics, astronomy, arithmetic, and associated fields.

Up to now a number of years, there was a proliferation of preprint servers throughout many disciplines, together with chemistry (ChemRxiv), earth science (EarthArXiv), and biomedicine (bioRxiv and medRxiv). There has additionally been a rise in multidisciplinary preprint servers hosted by business and nonprofit third events, akin to Analysis Sq. and the Heart for Open Science. This explosion in preprint servers has had varied results, some optimistic and a few controversial, with convincing arguments on each side. Nevertheless, one impact that isn’t being argued is the affect preprints are having on scientific journal workflows. At first a disrupting power, preprints are assimilating into journal workflows whereas additionally evolving these workflows in attention-grabbing methods. HighWire, a subsidiary of MPS, has been in a position to take part on this evolution by way of our relationship with Chilly Spring Harbor Laboratory, the host of bioRxiv and medRxiv. These preprint servers use HighWire’s BenchPress submission system to obtain and display preprints and HighWire’s internet hosting platform to show the preprints and related feedback.

It has lengthy been established that the scientific file is made up of analysis articles which were submitted to look evaluate journals, that these articles have been by way of a rigorous peer evaluate course of, and that an editor or editorial board has “accepted” the analysis paper, leading to formal publication in a longtime scientific periodical. These analysis articles reference different analysis articles which were by way of the identical course of, and, in flip, these articles, as soon as printed, could be cited. There are stringent guidelines governing analysis journal workflow. A analysis paper can’t be submitted for consideration to multiple journal at a time, which signifies that a researcher might need to undergo the peer evaluate course of a number of occasions at a number of journals earlier than their analysis will get printed. Which means it could possibly take months and even years earlier than a bit of analysis turns into a part of the scientific file, which frustrates scientists.

Preprints have upset this course of by introducing analysis into the scientific file earlier than peer evaluate takes place. They’ve grown in reputation as an accepted approach to expose analysis early within the analysis cycle and to determine provenance over a scholarly idea or scientific development. Over the previous ten years, many journals have altered their insurance policies to permit researchers to submit articles that have been initially posted as preprints, which beforehand many forbade. The truth is, processes and protocols have been developed to automate the switch of manuscripts from preprint servers to journal submission techniques. The Manuscript Trade Widespread Strategy (MECA) protocol is one such mechanism. Developed by a gaggle of publishing workflow distributors, together with HighWire, MECA is used to switch analysis articles, together with commentary and peer evaluate, from system to system, in an automatic, machine-readable manner.

The Covid-19 pandemic drew extra consideration to using the preprint. Because the world acknowledged the severity of the pandemic, many scholarly publishers made virus-related analysis freely obtainable to readers. On the identical time, preprint servers, akin to bioRxiv and medRxiv, started to obtain hundreds of preprints from scientists keen to assist battle the pandemic by getting their findings distributed shortly, with out ready for the extended journal course of. The ensuing avalanche of Covid-related research included many who have been useful and a few that weren’t. To assist readers sift by way of these, varied teams created preprint peer evaluate companies. Among the many first was a collaboration between MIT Press and the College of California, Berkeley referred to as Speedy Evaluations: COVID-19 (RR:C19), which sought to quickly consider Covid analysis as soon as it was made public. The editorial group at RR:C19 would determine preprints on Covid, arrange peer evaluate of these papers, and likewise direct authors to applicable publishing alternatives, together with their very own overlay journal.

This mannequin has now expanded in several methods, producing various kinds of modern publishing workflows. There are a number of companies obtainable that carry out impartial peer evaluate of preprints. Assessment Commons provides peer evaluate to preprint authors and can then ship the opinions, together with the authors’ feedback, to a preprint server or on to a peer evaluate journal. Peer Neighborhood In (PCI) builds communities of researchers in varied disciplines who evaluate one another’s analysis papers, leading to a legitimate, citable article or in a analysis paper that may be despatched alongside to a conventional journal. These are simply two of many examples of preprint peer evaluate which have emerged to assist legitimize preprints. A complete listing, referred to as ReimagineReview, has been compiled by ASAPbio, a nonprofit group selling the evolution of the peer evaluate course of.

One other attention-grabbing innovation being utilized in preprint peer evaluate is an XML framework referred to as DocMaps, which captures the editorial course of utilized in evaluating a bit of analysis. DocMaps was developed by a consortium of publishers, representatives from preprint servers, service suppliers, and clear peer evaluate advocates, with the goal of capturing editorial processes and occasions in a machine-readable manner in order that the workflow particulars can journey with the article and be displayed for the aim of creating the underlying editorial course of clear. The DocMaps XML is accessible alongside the article XML and could be learn by any appropriate system. Which means as an article strikes by way of a publishing workflow, every system it encounters can add info to the DocMap, constructing an editorial historical past that may be later uncovered to the reader.

An amazing end-to-end instance of this modern workflow utilizing third-party peer evaluate companies, DocMaps, and MECA has been applied by Chilly Spring Harbor Laboratory on their bioRxiv and medRxiv preprint servers. A researcher who posts their analysis on certainly one of these preprint servers can select to have the preprint reviewed by a preprint peer evaluate service, like Assessment Commons, or it may be chosen and reviewed by a service like PCI. As soon as reviewed, the details about the evaluate is added to the DocMap, which is accessible on the applicable preprint server. As soon as the opinions are obtained, they’re posted alongside the preprint. As well as, the preprint and related peer opinions could be despatched alongside to a conventional journal. As extra conventional journals are uncovered to this workflow, preprint peer evaluate will doubtless be seen as a helpful augmentation, and will even displace the present peer evaluate workflow, shortening the time between submission and publication.

At HighWire Press, it has been fascinating to look at and be a part of this preprint revolution. Working with companions like Chilly Spring Harbor Laboratory, now we have been in a position to rework our workflow techniques to assist evolving types of peer evaluate and to accommodate innovation within the editorial course of. The necessity for flexibility has pushed innovation in our workflow platforms in different methods as effectively. In anticipation of much more disruption in publishing workflow, we at the moment are modernizing our techniques in order that they’re extra modular and microservice-based, which implies they’re able to dealing with new processes with out intensive growth. This can allow us to reply much more quickly to the inevitable modifications in each know-how and workflow and permit us to carry innovation to our associate publishers.

Tony Alves, senior v-p of product administration at HighWire Press

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