Which Journals and Funders Allow Preprints?

Many, but not all, publishers allow preprint posting for manuscripts submitted to their journals for publication. Some publishers, such as BMJ and Springer Nature, encourage preprinting. eLife requires it. Use the following resources to check specific journal/publisher policies on preprints, and be sure to also check the current policy in the author instructions for any journal you are preparing to submit to.

  • bioRxiv and medRxiv have a direct transfer service to transmit manuscript files from the preprint server to participating journals and peer review services
  • Open policy finder (formerly Sherpa Services) - a database of journal policies on author sharing of their preprints (submitted version), post-prints (accepted version), and the publisher's final version

Funders and employers are increasingly recognizing the value of preprints and allowing them to be included for assessment. See tracking of:

Visit our Getting Published page for more information or to connect with a scholarly communication expert.

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