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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →A preprint is a complete public draft of scientific work that has not yet been certified by peer review. A peer-reviewed paper has gone through formal review by experts and an editor; if accepted, it may appear first as an accepted manuscript and later as the journal’s formatted publication. A preprint can be revised and later published, but posting it does not mean a journal has accepted it.
What “preprint” means
“Preprint” describes a manuscript’s stage, not its quality. Authors share the work publicly before it has completed peer review. The National Library of Medicine defines preprints as “complete and public drafts of scientific documents, not yet certified by peer review” (NLM’s NIH Preprint Pilot page).
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That early public access can help researchers and readers see work sooner and invite feedback. But its findings and conclusions remain provisional: NLM cautions that any aspect of the research, including results and conclusions, may change during peer review.
How a preprint differs from a peer-reviewed paper
| Version or stage | What has happened | What the label does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Preprint | Authors have made a complete draft publicly available. A repository may screen it for scope or policy. | It has not been certified by peer review; screening is not a review of the science equivalent to journal peer review. |
| Accepted manuscript | A journal has accepted the work after peer review; the manuscript may include changes made in response to reviewers and editors. | It may not yet be the journal’s final formatted version. |
| Published journal article | The journal has formally published its version of record, which may include copy-editing, formatting, and other production work. | Peer review and publication do not guarantee that every result is correct. |
The National Academies notes that articles on preprint servers may be screened and categorized even though they are not peer reviewed (Open Science by Design, Chapter 3). Treat that screening as a repository process, not a journal’s assessment of whether the claims are sound.
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Is a preprint “published”?
It is publicly posted, but that does not make it a peer-reviewed journal publication. The term “published” can mean simply made public in everyday use; in scholarly contexts, readers should distinguish a repository posting from formal journal publication. A database record does not change the work’s review status.
For example, the NIH Preprint Pilot adds eligible preprints to PubMed Central and provides a corresponding PubMed citation. NLM’s page describes this as a discovery program, not a certification process. It reports that more than 3,300 preprints on NIH-supported COVID-19 research became discoverable through the pilot from June 2020 through June 2022; that is a historical pilot count, not a measure of all preprints or current annual volume.
How to assess a preprint you find
- Check the status label. Look for an explicit preprint indicator and any status panel in the repository or database record. Indexing in a scholarly database alone does not mean peer review occurred.
- Check the version date. Authors may post revisions. Read the version you are using and note whether a later accepted manuscript or journal article is linked.
- Compare the claims. If a later version exists, check whether its results or conclusions changed rather than assuming the two versions are identical.
- Identify the formal record. If a journal version is available, note its journal and DOI, and use that version when it is the appropriate source for your claim.
NLM records may link a preprint to later versions when available (NIH Preprint Pilot information). Publisher rules about preprints vary: Elsevier notes that some society-owned journals and journals using double-anonymized review have different policies, so authors should check the specific journal’s Guide for Authors (Elsevier preprint policy).
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How to cite a preprint
Cite the version you actually consulted and identify it as a preprint if it has not been peer reviewed. If a peer-reviewed paper later appears, check whether that version is more suitable for the claim you are citing. Practices vary by discipline and publisher, and the available record may link to a later version.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.NIH-specific requirements for funded interim products
For interim products claimed as products of an NIH award, the NIH Grants Policy Statement, Section 8.2.5, revised March 2026, expects authors to make the work publicly available, clearly state that it is not peer reviewed, acknowledge NIH funding, and declare competing interests (NIH Grants Policy Statement, Section 8.2.5). These are NIH-specific expectations; other funders, repositories, and journals may have their own requirements.
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