bioRxiv is pronounced "bio-archive". It is a free online archive and distribution service for unpublished preprints in the life sciences that is operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a not-for-profit research and educational institution.
Articles are not peer-reviewed, edited, or typeset before being posted online.
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Use keywords in the basic search bar, or choose to do an advanced search.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Access it easily: no paywalls, which means wider dissemination | Perception of low quality: lots of eyes on the research for informal feedback and can still be peer-reviewed in the future |
| Record of Posting Date: permanent datestamp | Risk of invalid findings: the informal feedback of preprints is meant to capture issues prior to publishing. However preprints risks disseminating errors to the public before being formally vetted. |
| May still publish in future: Check SHERPA/RoMEO for specific journal preprint policies | Risk of embargo violations: If preprints do end up getting published in media it can be considered prior publication. |
| Established work: Good for early career researchers; funders like NIH accept preprints | |
| Rapid evaluation of article: researchers have access to feedback mechanisms to help improve research for publication |
(Pugachev, River Campus Libraries, 2021)
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