What is a preprint?
A preprint is a version of a scholarly manuscript shared on a public platform before undergoing formal peer review. Since the 1990s, many research communities have used this approach to speed up the dissemination of findings and boost the visibility and accessibility of researchers' early work. Their importance grew significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when quickly sharing research was essential for advancing studies and guiding public health actions.
Additional benefits of integrating preprints into the research process include the following:
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Journal-agnostic peer feedback: Preprints allow authors to receive constructive input from peers before journal submission
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Establishing priority: Posting to a public preprint server serves as public disclosure, helping establish primacy of findings and signaling intellectual property ownership.
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DOIs: Most servers assign a DOI, making preprints citable and linkable to the final published version.
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Linking and transparency: Some preprint servers, like the Open Science Framework, allow linking to final publications, datasets, and other outputs, showing the evolution of research over time.
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Version tracking: All preprint versions are publicly archived, with withdrawals noted and reasons recorded.
Maintaining a complete and updated preprint record is typically the author’s responsibility.
A List of Engineering Preprint Servers
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ArXiv/eess (Electrical engineering & systems science)ArXiv (pronounced “archive”), established in 1991, is a research-sharing platform that focuses on the sciences and applied mathematics. The only engineering disciplines included are electrical engineering and systems science, and focus within this discipline is placed on audio, video, and signal processing as well as systems and control. In 2022, all arXiv articles were updated to include a DOI. There are no costs for submission.
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engrXiv (engineering Archive)”Dedicated to the dissemination of engineering knowledge,” engrXiv was first launched in July 2016. This server accepts all types of manuscripts such as “systematic reviews, hypotheses, ‘negative’ results, and data and methods papers.” They publish both preprints and previously published articles that authors would like to make Open Access.
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EngRN (Engineering Research Network on SSRN)The Engineering Research Network, on the server SSRN (formerly known as the Social Science Research Network), helps authors to “showcase their research papers” on engineering topics. SSRN is owned by publisher Elsevier
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MobilityRxiv (owned by SAE)MobilityRxiv (pronounced “mobility archive”) is a free online archive and sharing service for preprints “in the mobility/transportation field, including ground vehicles, commercial vehicles, and aerospace and aviation.” This server accepts original manuscripts that have not been published in a journal or other type of publication, including manuscripts presently undergoing peer review in SAE journals, those that have been previously rejected for publication, as well as less formal publications such as white papers, theses and dissertations.
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OSF Preprints (Open Science Framework)OSF hosts preprints (launched 2016) in a broad variety of subject areas, including engineering. On the OSF server, preprints are further organized into specific disciplines (civil, mechanical, etc.) and can be filtered by creator, institution license type, etc.
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Optica OpenOptica Open (established 2023) is a sharing platform for authors in the discipline of optics and photonics. It allows both scholarly research and industry white papers to be posted.
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Preprints.orgPreprints.org is a multidisciplinary sharing platform that is “dedicated to making early versions of research outputs permanently available and citable”.. This server posts “scientifically sound” original research articles and comprehensive reviews from a broad set of disciplines, including engineering, medicine, science, social sciences, and humanities.
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Research SquareResearch Square is a multidisciplinary preprint sharing platform that accepts research in “all scientific areas, including physical, biomedical, and social sciences.” Engineering subject areas defined within the repository include all major disciplines as well as more narrow disciplines such as agricultural, biomedical, environmental, nuclear and robotic engineering. Research Square is owned by publisher Springer Nature.
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TechRxiv (operated by IEEE)TechRxiv (pronounced "tech archive") is an open, moderated preprint server for unpublished research in the areas of engineering, computer science, and related technology.
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TransportRxivTransportRxiv is a server that includes preprints from researchers within the transportation domain.
Search Preprints in Library Databases
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Compendex (via Engineering Village)Preprints in Compendex currently come from four selected preprints servers: ‘arXiv,’ ‘Research Square (Springer Nature),’ IEEE's ‘TechRxiv,’ and the ‘Applied Sciences and Physical Sciences’ collections from ‘SSRN.’
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Inspec (via Engineering Village)The preprints in Inspec come from the arXiv preprint server.
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ScopusPreprint servers included are: arXiv, ChemRxiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, SSRN, TechRxiv, and Research Square, and e Life.
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Preprint Citation Index (via Web of Science)Preprint servers included are: arXiv, bioRxiv, chemRxiv, medRxiv, preprints.org