What is a preprint?

A preprint is the author’s early version of an article – in many instances this paper has been or is about to be submitted to a journal. The preprint offers immediate, free access to a world-wide audience. It has not been validated by the critical process of peer review and as such cannot be considered as conclusive. As a sign of their increased acceptance in the scholarly record, preprints can be cited. If the final published version of a manuscript is available, it is a recommended practice to cite the published journal article rather than the preprint.

Posting preprints on SSRN provides early registration and dissemination of research. Positive outcomes may include:

• Research is discovered earlier in the publication process. Each preprint is assigned a DOI providing a permanent record of this early research and establishing priority of discovery.
• Authors can solicit and receive feedback on their findings with the potential for further scientific discourse and enhancement.
• Increased citation and altmetrics numbers. Although not always easy to quantify, some studies show that posting a paper on a preprint server can improve these results.

Most publishers allow preprints to be shared anywhere anytime. Articles that are rejected after peer-review can stay online as most journals support preprint posting and will typically not count this as prior publication.