What Is a Preprint?
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A preprint is a complete manuscript posted on a public server before, or in parallel with, peer review. Preprints let researchers share findings quickly and allow others to comment, but they have not been checked by journal peer reviewers.
Example
A team posts a cohort study on a health-sciences preprint server such as medRxiv, then submits it to a journal. If the journal publishes it, the final version may differ from the preprint, sometimes in its conclusions.
Common misunderstanding
A preprint is not "published" in the sense of peer-reviewed literature, and it should not be used as the basis for clinical decisions without caution. Always label it as a preprint when citing and check whether a peer-reviewed version exists. Many journals accept submissions that were previously posted as preprints, but check each journal's policy.
Learn more
See how to find free full texts, including preprints, in How to Find Free Full-Text Medical Research Articles.
References and further reading
Related reading
This page is general educational information about research methods. It is not medical, legal or regulatory advice; follow your institution's ethics board and your target journal's instructions.