The article "To preprint or not to preprint: A global researcher survey" by Rong Ni and Ludo Waltman explores the adoption and attitudes of researchers towards preprinting. The study conducted an online survey of authors of research papers published in 2021 and early 2022, focusing on the United States, Europe, China, and other regions. Key findings include: 1. **Adoption of Preprinting**: - The United States and Europe lead in the adoption of preprinting, with higher familiarity and commitment compared to other regions. - Preprinting is more prevalent in physics, astronomy, mathematics, and computer science, while less common in other research areas. - Reading preprints is the primary way respondents learn about preprinting, with over half of respondents reporting this method. 2. **Benefits of Preprinting**: - Free accessibility and acceleration of research communication are seen as the most beneficial aspects. - Other benefits include free posting, additional exposure, and establishing priority. - Concerns about enabling early feedback, more citations, and sharing results outside journals are less emphasized. 3. **Concerns About Preprinting**: - Low reliability and credibility, sharing results before peer review, and premature media coverage are significant concerns, particularly in life and health sciences. - Respondents in China express additional concerns about scooping risks and lack of recognition for posting preprints. 4. **Encouraging Preprinting**: - Integrating preprinting into journal submission workflows is the most important strategy to promote preprinting. - Providing recognition for preprinting is also crucial, especially in China and the social sciences and humanities. - Other recommendations include developing quality assurance and peer review approaches for preprints and providing guidance on citation practices and copyright issues. 5. **Discussion and Recommendations**: - The study highlights the need to address researchers' concerns to promote preprinting. - Recommendations include integrating preprinting into journal workflows, improving quality assurance, recognizing preprints, and providing clear guidance on citation and copyright. The study concludes that while preprinting has mixed opinions among researchers, it is an important element in the broader open science agenda. To encourage its widespread adoption, it is essential to address the concerns raised by researchers and implement practical strategies to support preprinting.The article "To preprint or not to preprint: A global researcher survey" by Rong Ni and Ludo Waltman explores the adoption and attitudes of researchers towards preprinting. The study conducted an online survey of authors of research papers published in 2021 and early 2022, focusing on the United States, Europe, China, and other regions. Key findings include: 1. **Adoption of Preprinting**: - The United States and Europe lead in the adoption of preprinting, with higher familiarity and commitment compared to other regions. - Preprinting is more prevalent in physics, astronomy, mathematics, and computer science, while less common in other research areas. - Reading preprints is the primary way respondents learn about preprinting, with over half of respondents reporting this method. 2. **Benefits of Preprinting**: - Free accessibility and acceleration of research communication are seen as the most beneficial aspects. - Other benefits include free posting, additional exposure, and establishing priority. - Concerns about enabling early feedback, more citations, and sharing results outside journals are less emphasized. 3. **Concerns About Preprinting**: - Low reliability and credibility, sharing results before peer review, and premature media coverage are significant concerns, particularly in life and health sciences. - Respondents in China express additional concerns about scooping risks and lack of recognition for posting preprints. 4. **Encouraging Preprinting**: - Integrating preprinting into journal submission workflows is the most important strategy to promote preprinting. - Providing recognition for preprinting is also crucial, especially in China and the social sciences and humanities. - Other recommendations include developing quality assurance and peer review approaches for preprints and providing guidance on citation practices and copyright issues. 5. **Discussion and Recommendations**: - The study highlights the need to address researchers' concerns to promote preprinting. - Recommendations include integrating preprinting into journal workflows, improving quality assurance, recognizing preprints, and providing clear guidance on citation and copyright. The study concludes that while preprinting has mixed opinions among researchers, it is an important element in the broader open science agenda. To encourage its widespread adoption, it is essential to address the concerns raised by researchers and implement practical strategies to support preprinting.