The need for faster publication of findings sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic increased the acceptance of research published in preprint services like medRxiv. But how reliable are they?
A new study the journal JAMA Network Open tried to find out.
The peer-review process used by credible journals remains the gold standard for publishing research, but it’s slow.
In the meantime, authors often share findings, receive feedback and inspire new research by publishing on preprint services, which are not peer reviewed but often are still moderated by subject matter experts.
The study compared preprint versions of papers to those later published in peer-reviewed journals.
It finds reason for reassurance: Almost three-quarters remained consistent in sample sizes, measurements, results and interpretations.
The rest often had minor changes unlikely to affect study outcomes.
