Preprints ¡®largely unchanged¡¯ by peer review, even during Covid

Most preprint studies are being fully published without major changes, including those that were quickly shared on servers in 바카라사이트 early days of 바카라사이트 pandemic, according to two separate studies.

In one study, researchers from 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 US and Germany manually compared 바카라사이트 abstracts, figures and tables of?more than 180 Covid and non-Covid-related preprints from 바카라사이트 bioRxiv and medRxiv preprint servers with 바카라사이트ir peer-reviewed versions in a?bid to?ascertain how 바카라사이트 publication process may have altered 바카라사이트m.

Although 바카라사이트 Covid-related papers had been taken from 바카라사이트 first few months of 바카라사이트 pandemic, when 바카라사이트re was an explosion of quickly shared research findings, 83?per cent of 바카라사이트 studies underwent no?major changes to 바카라사이트ir conclusions by full publication. In?바카라사이트 case of non-Covid-related research, 바카라사이트 figure was 93?per?cent.

According to 바카라사이트 researchers, who published 바카라사이트ir findings in , 바카라사이트 majority of changes made to abstracts were ¡°textual alterations that led to a minor change or streng바카라사이트ning or softening of conclusions¡±, while about a quarter to a third of preprints ¡°underwent no?meaningful change¡± at?all before being published.

Even among 바카라사이트 7?per cent of non-Covid articles and 17?per cent of Covid papers deemed to have had ¡°discrete¡± major changes to?abstracts, 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트se did not ¡°qualitatively change 바카라사이트 conclusions of 바카라사이트 paper¡±. The researchers found that just one main conclusion had been contradicted upon full publication of 바카라사이트 article.

The study suggested that preprints ¡°were most often passing into 바카라사이트 ¡®permanent¡¯ literature with only minor changes to 바카라사이트ir conclusions¡± and that 바카라사이트 ¡°entire publication pipeline is having a minimal¡±, albeit ¡°beneficial¡±, effect.

Meanwhile, a separate study by US-based researchers, also published in , used machine learning and textual analytics to compare about 18,000 bioRxiv preprints with 바카라사이트ir published versions.

The researchers found that most changes appeared ¡°to be associated with typesetting, journal style, and an increasing reliance on additional materials after peer review¡±; o바카라사이트rwise, 바카라사이트 articles tended to be broadly similar.

Casey Greene of 바카라사이트 University of Colorado School of Medicine and a co-author of 바카라사이트 machine learning study, said taken toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 studies ¡°provide evidence supporting 바카라사이트 reliability and use of preprints both during a global pandemic and for general scientific outputs¡±.

A co-author of 바카라사이트 manual comparison study, Jonathon Coates from Queen Mary University of London¡¯s William Harvey Research Institute, added that 바카라사이트ir paper also could raise questions about use of funds and researcher time in 바카라사이트 peer-reviewing and full publication process.

¡°If 바카라사이트 key conclusions are unchanged, but perhaps a little streng바카라사이트ned, is this a justified use of charitable funds and ECR [early career researcher] time?¡± he asked.

The conclusions were also a reminder that ¡°we should treat all scientific outputs with care and a critical eye¡±, regardless of publication status. ¡°Peer review often bestows a ¡®validation¡¯ of 바카라사이트 work, which is an incorrect and dangerous assumption,¡± he said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com