# Is preprint the future of science? A thirty year journey of online preprint services

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.09066 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.09066/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 17 Feb 2021.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [The Effect of Metadata on Scientific Literature Tagging: A Cross-Field Cross-Model Study](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.03341/) (2023)
- [Ontologies in Motion: A BFO-Based Approach to Knowledge Graph Construction for Motor Performance Research Data in Sports Science](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.15983/) (2025)
- [Critically Engaged Pragmatism: Scientific Norm and Social, Pragmatist Epistemology for AI Science Evaluation Tools](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.09753/) (2026)
- [MIRAI: Prediction and Generation of High-Impact Academic Research](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.05443/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Preprint is a version of a scientific paper that is publicly distributed preceding formal peer review. Since the launch of arXiv in 1991, preprints have been increasingly distributed over the Internet as opposed to paper copies. It allows open online access to disseminate the original research within a few days, often at a very low operating cost. This work overviews how preprint has been evolving and impacting the research community over the past thirty years alongside the growth of the Web. In this work, we first report that the number of preprints has exponentially increased 63 times in 30 years, although it only accounts for 4% of research articles. Second, we quantify the benefits that preprints bring to authors: preprints reach an audience 14 months earlier on average and associate with five times more citations compared with a non-preprint counterpart. Last, to address the quality concern of preprints, we discover that 41% of preprints are ultimately published at a peer-reviewed destination, and the published venues are as influential as papers without a preprint version. Additionally, we discuss the unprecedented role of preprints in communicating the latest research data during recent public health emergencies. In conclusion, we provide quantitative evidence to unveil the positive impact of preprints on individual researchers and the community. Preprints make scholarly communication more efficient by disseminating scientific discoveries more rapidly and widely with the aid of Web technologies. The measurements we present in this study can help researchers and policymakers make informed decisions about how to effectively use and responsibly embrace a preprint culture.