When you choose to publish with PLOS, your research makes an impact. Make your work accessible to all, without restrictions, and accelerate scientific discovery with options like preprints and published peer review that make your work more Open.

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Your Pre-posting Preprint Checklist

Posting a preprint is easy, but there are a few things you’ll want to think about—especially if this is your first post. Are you ready to post a preprint?

  • Consider your goals and obligations
  • What are your aims for this article, and what do you hope to gain through posting? (e.g. would you like to extend your reach, receive peer review feedback, fulfill best practice, or a combination?)
  • Does your institution or funder have any special requirements regarding preprints?
  • Check that your article is suitable for preprinting

There are cases when sharing results prior to peer review can be dangerous. For example:

  • Medical research that might include identifying personal information about a patient
  • Research with implications for public health
  • Dual use research of concern
  • Talk to your co-authors

Just like submitting a manuscript to a journal, all co-authors must agree to post a preprint. Concerned that your colleagues may not be on board? This preprint offers great advice on securing preprint buy-in from colleagues and advisers.

  • Choose the server that is right for your research

ASAPbio curates a thorough list of preprint servers. Consider the following points as you make your selection:

  • Subject area focus
  • Copyright licenses available
  • Nonprofit vs for-profit status
  • Association with a particular funder, corporation, or publisher
  • Best practice policies on screening, preservation, and permanence
  • Commenting codes of conduct
  • Consider your target journal

Do you have a particular journal in mind for this research article? Most major journals welcome submissions that have been previously posted as preprints but there are some exceptions—usually subject-specific clinical journals. If you have your heart set on a particular publication, double-check its preprint policy. The Sherpa Romeo database is a wonderful one-stop resource.

  • Post your preprint

Feel free to post your manuscript in the late draft stages, at or just before the stage when you might submit it for consideration at a journal. Most preprint servers are format agnostic: you’ll just upload a single PDF and provide a small amount of metadata.

  • Did you know...

PLOS journals offer free facilitated preprint posting to medRxiv and bioRxiv right from the manuscript submission form. When submitting, tick the checkbox to accept or decline, and we’ll take it from there.

  • Note down your preprint DOI

You’ll need it when you submit the article for peer review at a journal.

  • Share!

Once your preprint has passed any internal screening process and appeared live on the server, be sure to share it on social media and with your co-authors via email. This is a great time to revisit your goals for the manuscript – if you are looking for comments from the community be sure to note that when you share.

Read our full guide to preprints
Learn More

You can learn more about preprints at the preprint resource center or click on a journal name to start your preprint journey.

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