Answered By: The Library
Last Updated: Oct 11, 2021     Views: 81

Preprints (also known as the author’s original manuscript) is the version of a journal article that has not yet been through the peer-review process. Current ResearchDirect Guidelines do not allow for the inclusion of preprints in the repository.
ResearchDirect includes records for published journal articles. Wherever possible, the Library will include the version of the record (a PDF or a link to the publisher’s subscription site).

Western Sydney University students and staff are encouraged to provide the Library with the post-print version of their work (also known as the author’s accepted manuscript - AAM) because this PDF can often be included after an embargo period set by the publisher. The Library will manage this process on the authors’ behalf once the correct version of the manuscript is provided.

There are several subject-based preprint servers where authors can upload a preprint. Some sites provide a mechanism for open peer review of these papers prior to publication.

It is important to check with potential publishers of a manuscript about their policy for preprints, as some journals will consider a preprint to be prior publication, whereas others will encourage it.

The following resources are useful for locating publisher or journal preprint policies:

Some prominent preprint sites are arXiv, BioRxiv, Chemrxiv, PsyArXiv, The Winnower, F1000, SSRN, PeerJ Preprints, and Figshare.
PrePubMed and Scopus both index preprints but these are not recognised as formally published works.

For more information, please contact your School Librarian or review the definitions in the Library’s Open Access Guide.

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