This training demonstrates to researchers how sharing preprints can improve their research and support open science.

By the end of this training, learners should:

• Know what preprints are.
• Be able to find a suitable preprints platform to share their early findings.
• Understand the pro and cons of sharing preprints.
• Be aware of how sharing preprints can benefit their career progression.

Training Outline:

• What are preprints? 
• What do your peers think about preprints?
• Weighing the pros and cons of preprints.  
• Want to give it a try? Discipline-specific and general preprint repositories that you can use.
• Preprints in the time of COVID-19. 

Resources for facilitators and learners

Videos and webinars:

• Webinar recording and slides: “How to train students and researchers on the topic, Preprints”, Ana Đorđević, Faculty of Chemistry Library, University of Belgrade, and EIFL.

• “Preprints”, Professor Marcus Munafò, University of Bristol, Dr Jonny Coates, Queen Mary University of London, Dr Jake Ayres, University of Bristol, Nona Pariente, Editor-in Chief, PLOS Biology, UK Reproducibility Network.

• “What are preprints?”, Science Communication Lab.

• “Introduction to Preprints”, Philip Cohen, Center for Open Science.

• "Preprints - a UKRN Animated Primer", UK Reproducibility Network.

• “Dissemination of scientific work in open access”, Series Passport: An Introduction to Open Science, Ouvrir La Science.

Library guides:

• “Scholarly Publishing – Preprints”, CQUniversity Library.
• “Open research handbook: Preprints”, University of Reading.
• “Understanding Research Impact: Preprints pros and cons”, River Campus Libraries.
• Kristina Hettne, Ron Aardening, Dirk van Gorp, et al., “A Practical Guide to Preprints: Accelerating Scholarly Communication”, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5600535

Examples of presentations, guides, handouts and tip sheets:

• Preprint Info Center, ASAPbio.
• Preprints in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASAPbio.
• List of funder policies, ASAPbio.
• Directory of Open Access Preprint Repositories. 
• “Pre-prints Training Materials”, UK Reproducibility Network.
• Manuel Spitschan, Sally Rumsey, Matt Jaquiery, et al., “Preprints: A Primer from UKRN”. UK Reproducibility Network, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/m4zyh

Articles:

• Philip E. Bourne, Jessica K. Polka, Ronald D. Vale, et al., “Ten simple rules to consider regarding preprint submission”. PLoSComputBiol 13(5) 2017, e1005473. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005473 
• Clarissa F. D. Carneiro, Victor G. S. Queiroz, Thiago C. Moulin, et al., “Comparing quality of reporting between preprints and peer-reviewed articles in the biomedical literature”. Research Integrity and Peer Review 5(16) 2020.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41073-020-00101-3  
• Nicholas Fraser ,Liam Brierley ,Gautam Dey, et al., “The evolving role of preprints in the dissemination of COVID-19 research and their impact on the science communication landscape”. PLoSBiol 19(4) 2021, e3000959.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000959  
• Naomi C. Penfold, Jessica K. Polka, “Technical and social issues influencing the adoption of preprints in the life sciences”. PLoS Genet 16(4) 202, e1008565. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1008565