Guide
How to get a preprint peer-reviewed
To get a preprint peer-reviewed, you either submit it to a journal or send it to a service that reviews preprints directly, such as eLife, Review Commons, Peer Community In, PREreview or Unjournal. The journal route ends in an accept or reject decision. The preprint routes end in public reviews, a recommendation or a reviewed version you can point readers to, without waiting for a journal's verdict.
Before you pick a route
Whatever the route, reviewers read the same things: whether the question is clear, whether the methods can answer it, whether the data support the conclusions, and whether the work is placed in the right literature. A few checks save a round of review:
- The abstract states the question, the method and the main result.
- Methods are detailed enough for someone else to repeat the work.
- Data and code are available, or you say why they are not.
- Limitations are stated by you, before a reviewer has to point them out.
Posting the paper on a preprint server first makes it public and timestamps the work while it is being reviewed.
Route 1: submit it to a journal
The editor decides whether the paper goes out to review, picks the reviewers, and decides on acceptance after one or more rounds. You get a journal article if it is accepted; if it is rejected, you start again elsewhere, usually with new reviewers. Reviews are rarely published. How long peer review takes gives the timelines, and article processing charges what open access costs at a journal.
Route 2: a journal-independent review service
Several services review preprints without a journal decision at the end:
- eLife reviews only papers posted as preprints. Every reviewed paper is published as a Reviewed Preprint with public reviews and an eLife assessment, and eLife no longer makes accept or reject decisions after review. A publication fee is collected. Unjournal and eLife compared.
- Review Commons, a project of ASAPbio and EMBO, reviews life-science preprints independently of any journal. You get a Refereed Preprint (the manuscript, one round of reports and your response) and can send it on to affiliate journals. Unjournal and Review Commons compared.
- Peer Community In runs thematic communities in which volunteer recommenders evaluate preprints with at least two reviewers and publicly recommend the ones that pass. It is free for authors and readers. Unjournal and Peer Community In compared.
- PREreview is a free, open-source platform where researchers review preprints in the open; authors can request a review of their own preprint. Unjournal and PREreview compared.
| Criterion | Who organises the review | What you end up with |
|---|---|---|
| Journal | The journal's editor | Acceptance or rejection |
| eLife | eLife's editors | A Reviewed Preprint with public reviews and an assessment |
| Review Commons | Review Commons, independently of journals | A Refereed Preprint you can send to affiliate journals |
| Peer Community In | A thematic community's recommender | A public recommendation, if the evaluation is positive |
| PREreview | Researchers who pick your preprint or answer your request | Open reviews of your preprint |
| Unjournal | We shortlist the reviewers, you approve them | A peer-reviewed preprint, published with its reviews |
Route 3: Unjournal's review loop
On Unjournal you upload the paper (PDF or Word) and it is read for the specific questions that need an expert. Researchers whose own work is closest to those questions are found in the global publication record, and you approve the anonymized shortlist before anyone is contacted. They review double-blind and comment on the passages that matter. You revise, the same reviewers check the revision, and once at least two endorse it and none says “not yet”, you can publish it on the Unjournal preprint journal with its reviews.
Uploading and seeing the shortlist is free, the review is paid only once it is delivered, and publishing is free. What a peer-reviewed preprint is.
How to choose
- You need a journal article (a hiring or funding rule asks for one): submit to a journal, or use Review Commons, whose Refereed Preprints can go on to affiliate journals.
- You want reviewed work out soon, with the reviews visible to readers: eLife, Peer Community In or Unjournal.
- You want reviewers who work on your exact questions, approved by you: Unjournal shows you the shortlist before anyone is asked.
- You want open, community feedback at no cost: PREreview or Peer Community In, in the fields they cover.
Frequently asked questions
Can a preprint be peer-reviewed without a journal?
Yes. eLife, Review Commons, Peer Community In, PREreview and Unjournal all review preprints without a journal's accept or reject decision at the end.
Who chooses the reviewers of a preprint?
It depends on the route: a journal editor, a service's editors, a community recommender, or volunteers who pick the preprint. On Unjournal the reviewers are shortlisted from the publication record and you approve them before anyone is contacted.
Are preprint reviews public?
On eLife, Peer Community In (for recommended preprints), PREreview and Unjournal, yes. At most journals, no.
Is preprint review free?
Peer Community In and PREreview are free for authors. eLife collects a publication fee. On Unjournal, uploading and publishing are free and the review is paid on delivery, with a money-back guarantee.
What do reviewers of a preprint look at?
The same as at a journal: whether the question is clear, whether the methods can answer it, whether the data support the conclusions, and whether the work is placed in the right literature.
Sources
- eLife (2022): eLife's new model, changing the way you share your research
- Review Commons: About
- Peer Community In: homepage: free for authors and readers; recommenders; at least two reviewers; 21 thematic communities
- PREreview: About: free, open-source platform; authors can request reviews of their preprint