A preprint is a version of a scholarly paper that precedes publication in a peer-reviewed journal and acts as an early indication of research.

Preprints reside on preprint servers, which cover a set of domains and allow for dissemination, laying claim to an idea, and help collect feedback prior to submission. In some fields, preprints are the main communication vehicle. Preprints differ from Articles-in-Press in that preprints are not peer-reviewed and not accepted for publication in a journal.

Why introduce preprints into Scopus author profiles?

To provide a more detailed view of the researchers and their scholarly output over the course of their careers, preprints are an early indication of research and allows for several use cases:

• To assess if other researchers are performing cutting edge, innovative research allowing other researchers to identify potential collaboration partners.
• To read or assess another researcher’s most recent work.
• To get a more comprehensive portfolio overview.
• To allow funding agencies to assess funding applications, monitor project progress, and demonstrate impact through early forms of scholarly output.

How are preprints incorporated into author profiles?

Preprints are only available for authors that already have a peer-reviewed publication history in Scopus and they are clearly separated from the curated published content. Neither citations to-and-from the preprints, nor links with the final version of the article are captured. Metrics on Scopus, such as publication and citation counts, h-index, and others exclude preprint content.

Which preprints are included?

Scopus includes preprints from 2017 and onward from arXiv, bioRxiv, Social Sciences (SSRN), and ChemRxiv (>600k), which cover the domains where preprints are most relevant.

Why preprints and not meeting abstracts?

Preprints are deemed as a more valuable signal of research focus than meeting abstracts. Meeting abstracts are not a complete and unique record of research and can drive ambiguity or duplication. Furthermore, unlike preprints which represent a complete piece of work, the scientific content and substance of meeting abstracts is limited as they are typically written before the actual research is complete.

Does adding preprints to Scopus influence university rankings?

Preprints are not integrated into institution profiles or metrics and do not influence assessment.

Which metrics (such as citations) are included for preprints?

Preprints are not integrated into any metrics in Scopus and do not influence assessment, including citation counts. The version-of-record (published, peer-reviewed articles) are the official representation of the research in Scopus.

Is there be a feedback mechanism for preprints?

You can request to add or remove preprints to an author profile using the Author Feedback Wizard. See How do I use the Author Feedback Wizard? for information about adding and removing preprints.

What happens if a preprint is later published? Does the published version take the place of the preprint?

If the research work exists as both a preprint and as a publication, the preprint lives in parallel with the published article. Preprints and the published article are different entities where the contents are not identical. Preprints are not integrated into any metrics or statistics in Scopus, therefore only the published articles are counted and represent the body of research in the metrics and statistics. The possibility of linking preprints to the corresponding published version is being evaluated.

Preprints versioning is pro-actively managed to include only the latest version of a preprint in Scopus.

Why are preprints not deleted after publication?

Any records that are included in Scopus are not deleted later to keep the scientific record and provide consistency. A preprint and published article may result from the same research, but these are considered two different, independent entities with their own metadata, content, and quality standards. Some preprints may never be published, but will remain in Scopus to keep the scientific record of the research described in the preprint.

Why is the cut-off for covering preprints 1 Jan 2017?

The further back a preprint is posted, the less likely the author is currently performing reseach associated with the preprint. By focusing on more recent years, Scopus is able to more accurately provide an early indication of research. Most preprints that were posted before 2017 have become published articles or are not likely to be published.

Why are there preprints in Scopus that were later published in non-CSAB journals?

Some preprints may get published later in journals covered in Scopus, some preprints may get published in non-CSAB journals, and some preprints may never get published.

What is the editorial quality policy for preprints?

Preprints in Scopus come from selected preprint servers. Preprints are not peer-reviewed and no endorsement of the methods, assumptions, conclusions, or scientific quality is implied by the preprint server or Scopus. Some preprint servers may have a basic screening process for offensive or non-scientific content, material that might pose a health or security risk, and for appropriateness to the scientific subject field of the preprint server.

When are preprints going to be added to the Scopus API?

Scopus will evaluate the needs for API based on customer feedback, then decide what features to add or modify for preprints.