Chemistry preprints pick up steam

In the 17 months since that meeting, preprints have steadily gained popularity in the chemistry community. Researchers have begun experimenting with uploading their manuscripts, citing curiosity and speed among the reasons for giving it a try. Other societies have joined ACS, which also publishes C&EN, in ChemRxiv ownership. And chemistry journals that had refused to accept preprint papers—the Journal of the American Chemical Society is one notable example—loosened their restrictions. Skepticism still remains, to be sure, but it’s tempered by observations from scientists in other fields that preprints have not upended publishing practices in their communities.

Collectively, more than 2,300 preprints have been posted on ChemRxiv and ChemRN. Another server, called ECSarXiv, operated by the Electrochemical Society, slipped onto the scene in the spring of last year and currently hosts about 30 preprints.