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JMIR Preprints

Editorial Director
Updated

About JMIR Preprints

A preprint is a publicly posted version of a research manuscript that has not yet undergone peer review by a journal. It allows authors to disseminate findings rapidly, receive early feedback, and establish priority of discovery prior to journal publication.

Major funders (e.g., NIH, UK MRC) encourage citing preprints to accelerate dissemination.

JMIR Preprints hosts:

  • Submitted manuscripts currently under review (or previously under review) at a JMIR Publications journal.
  • Directly deposited manuscripts that were not submitted to or published by any journal at the time of preprint submission (traditional preprint-server functionality).

A preprint cannot be unpublished, updated, or corrected, although anyone – including authors – may annotate it using the Hypothes.is annotation tool (see How to use the Hypothes.is annotation tool).

Preprint Content, Lifecycle and Status Definitions

The JMIR Preprint server hosts unreviewed manuscripts, manuscripts awaiting open participation peer review, and manuscripts currently in formal peer review at JMIR or partner journals.

A JMIR preprint can be:

  • Published as a preprint only
    The preprint has been made publicly available but has not entered peer review and has not been submitted to or accepted by any JMIR journal. No peer review has been initiated and no Version of Record (VoR) exists.
  • Undergoing peer review
    The preprint has been submitted to a journal and is currently under editorial evaluation.
  • Undergoing peer review in a subsequent round
    The preprint is in a revised stage of peer review (e.g., after author revisions).
  • Accepted for publication in a journal
    The preprint has passed peer review and is scheduled for formal publication. The Version of Record (VoR) will be linked upon publication.
  • Published in a journal after peer review
    The final, peer-reviewed article is now published. A link to the Version of Record (VoR) appears on the preprint page. The preprint remains publicly accessible as a historical record.
  • Rejected or withdrawn
    The preprint is no longer under consideration by a JMIR journal and is displayed as “no longer under consideration”. It may remain publicly visible unless withdrawn by the author.

DOI Assignment, Citability and Version Linking

All JMIR preprints are assigned a DOI once the preprint is submitted.

If the manuscript is later accepted and published in a JMIR Publications journal, the preprint DOI will link to the final Version of Record.

A published manuscript first submitted as a preprint may therefore show three distinct versions on the preprint page:

  • The submitted preprint.
  • The accepted manuscript, if available, with a DOI identical to the final VoR.
  • The final published paper (VoR), linked in a yellow box.

Open Participation Review of Preprints

Any registered user can volunteer to review eligible preprints hosted on the platform. Volunteers are screened for suitability before being invited to provide feedback.

If the preprint is later submitted to a JMIR journal, the review may be considered during the formal editorial peer review process.

To review a preprint:

  1. Log into your JMIR account.
  2. Navigate to the preprint page of an eligible article.
  3. Click “Peer Review Me” to express your interest.
  4. The editorial team will screen your profile for suitability. If approved, you’ll receive a formal invitation.
  5. Accept the invitation to gain access to the full preprint and complete your review.

Copyright and Redistribution

Authors grant JMIR Publications an exclusive license to distribute submissions internally and externally for peer-review purposes. Authors retain copyright.

Preprints are not licensed under Creative Commons until formally published in a JMIR journal.

Redistribution Restrictions

Submitted manuscripts and preprints are privileged documents. Redistribution (e.g., posting on other preprint servers or ResearchGate) is prohibited unless initiated by the authors.

 

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