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

Online courses: 

• “Sharing Preprints”, FOSTER. 

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.

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, Chantal Hukkelhoven, Nicole Loorbach, Jeroen Sondervan, & Astrid van Wesenbeeck. (2021). A Practical Guide to Preprints: Accelerating Scholarly Communication (1.0). Zenodo. 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.

Articles:

• Bourne PE, Polka JK, Vale RD, Kiley R. Ten simple rules to consider regarding preprint submission. PLoS Comput Biol 13(5): e1005473. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005473 
• Carneiro, C.F.D., Queiroz, V.G.S., Moulin, T.C. et al. Comparing quality of reporting between preprints and peer-reviewed articles in the biomedical literature. Res Integr Peer Rev 5, 16 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41073-020-00101-3  
• Fraser N, Brierley L, Dey G, Polka JK, Pálfy M, Nanni F, et al. (2021) The evolving role of preprints in the dissemination of COVID-19 research and their impact on the science communication landscape. PLoS Biol 19(4): e3000959. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000959  
• Penfold NC, Polka JK (2020) Technical and social issues influencing the adoption of preprints in the life sciences. PLoS Genet 16(4): e1008565. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1008565