Preprints: Why They Are Important

Who reviews the research results?

Preprints are usually the first complete manuscript, so they do not look like a published version of record from a journal.  This does not necessarily mean that the preprint has not been edited by a professional editor. A preprint should still undergo several rounds of editing before it goes live on internet.

Similarly, preprints do not go through a formal peer-review like they would with a traditional publisher.  There are several ways preprints may still get reviewed:

• From the community of readers who directly contact the author(s) and let them know of any errors. 
• A preprint review club who finds early research related to their subject specialty.
• More formal preprint review initiatives like Review Commons, or PREreview.