RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Preprinting Microbiology
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 110858
DO 10.1101/110858
A1 Patrick D. Schloss
YR 2017
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/03/15/110858.abstract
AB The field of microbiology has experienced significant growth due to transformative advances in technology and the influx of scientists driven by a curiosity to understand how microbes interact with each other and their environment to sustain myriad biochemical processes that are essential for maintaining the Earth. With this explosion in scientific output, a significant bottleneck has been the ability to disseminate this new knowledge to peers and the public in a timely manner. Preprints have emerged as a tool that a growing number of microbiologists are using to overcome this bottleneck. Furthermore, posting preprints can help to transparently recruit a more diverse pool of reviewers prior to submitting to a traditional journal. Although use of preprints is still limited in the biological sciences, early indications are that preprints are a robust tool that can complement and enhance peer-reviewed publications. As publishing moves to embrace advances in internet technology, there are many opportunities for preprints and peer-reviewed journals to coexist in the same ecosystem.