Using preprint repositories
We are committed to increasing the accessibility of research and ensuring that it is communicated as rapidly as possible. To accelerate this process, we encourage researchers to deposit early versions of articles they intend to submit to a peer-reviewed journal in appropriate subject repositories such as arXiv, bioRxiv and PeerJ Preprints. The manuscript submitted to a journal, an earlier draft, or any part thereof may be deposited at any time and made freely available. Authors submitting to Proceedings A after prior deposition in arXiv benefit from a simpler article upload process using just the e-print number.
Posting a preprint on a recognised preprint server or repository does not constitute prior publication or a breach of our media embargo policy, and will prejudice neither the peer review process nor publication in our journals.
A preprint is defined as the manuscript submitted to a journal (pre review), an earlier draft, or any part thereof.
The postprint (the accepted version, after peer review) can be loaded onto an institutional or not for profit repository once accepted for publication, but access to the full text must be embargoed for 12 months from publication of the article in a journal.
When posting a preprint on a preprint server or a repository, we recommend that you:
- make clear the status of the work, e.g. that it has not been formally peer reviewed, revised or accepted by a journal (or other recognised venue);
- take responsibility to safeguard sensitive information, such as patient identities or the location of endangered species, and adhere to appropriate standards of reporting and ethical oversight; and
- add a link to the final publisher version, once the article is accepted and formally published.
Media embargoes
We employ a strict embargo policy where the reporting of a scientific article published in one of our journals by the media is embargoed until a specific time.