Preprints: An underutilized mechanism to accelerate outbreak science

Johansson MA, Reich NG, Meyers LA, Lipsitch M (2018) Preprints: An underutilized mechanism to accelerate outbreak science. PLoS Med 15(4): e1002549. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002549

"Summary points:

Preprints—manuscripts posted openly online prior to peer review—offer an opportunity to accelerate the dissemination of scientific findings to support responses to infectious disease outbreaks.

Preprints posted during the Ebola and Zika outbreaks included novel analyses and new data, and most of those that were matched to peer-reviewed publications were available more than 100 days before publication.

Despite the advantages of preprints and the endorsement of journals and funders in the context of outbreaks, less than 5% of Ebola and Zika journal articles were posted as preprints prior to publication in journals.

With broader adoption by scientists, journals, and funding agencies, preprints can complement peer-reviewed publication and ensure the early, open, and transparent dissemination of science relevant to the prevention and control of disease outbreaks...."