ManuSights/Resource Library

Reference notes

Coverage

57 journals

Sources

Publisher preprint policies (Feb 2026)

Last reviewed

February 2026

Prepared by the Manusights editorial team.

Preprint-policy guide

Preprints in Biomedicine: bioRxiv, medRxiv, and Journal Preprint Policies

Preprints have moved from the margins of biomedicine to mainstream practice, accelerated by COVID-19, driven by NIH policy, and now standard practice at most major journals. If you're still unsure whether to post one, or which journals will accept a manuscript after you do, this guide covers both.

Quick orientation

Use this page when the real question is whether posting a preprint will help, hurt, or complicate the journal plan.

This guide is for the decision stage: whether to post, which server fits the manuscript, what the target journal expects you to disclose, and where the rare exceptions still exist.

57 journal policiesbioRxiv and medRxiv guidanceDisclosure expectationsBest for submission timing

Best used with

Author rights guide

Use it when preprint questions turn into accepted-manuscript or copyright questions later in the workflow.

Open access guide

Pair preprint strategy with funder mandates, APC planning, and the final publication route.

Data sharing requirements

Make sure repository and dataset timing decisions stay aligned with the preprint plan.

7

Actively encouraged

49

Allowed

0

Allowed with conditions

1

Not allowed

What Is a Preprint and Why It Matters

A preprint is a version of a manuscript posted publicly before peer review. It gets a timestamp and a DOI through a preprint server (bioRxiv for life sciences, medRxiv for clinical/health sciences), making it citable and shareable immediately.

Preprints don't replace peer review, they run alongside it. You post the preprint, then submit to a journal. The journal reviews it independently. If accepted, the preprint stays up alongside the published version.

The NIH now actively encourages preprint posting and has included preprints in its citation pilot on PubMed since 2020. For many researchers, posting to bioRxiv or medRxiv before or during peer review is now standard practice.

✓
Establishes priority: A timestamped DOI proves you had the finding before others, which matters in competitive research areas
✓
Gets community feedback: Other researchers can comment before submission, improving the manuscript
✓
Immediate visibility: Your work can be read and cited while it sits in peer review (which can take months)
✓
NIH compliance: Preprints deposited in PMC can satisfy NIH public access requirements under certain conditions
✓
Career benefit: Preprint DOIs can be listed on CVs, grant applications, and job materials before formal publication

bioRxiv vs medRxiv: Which One?

bioRxiv

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. For life sciences broadly: molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, neuroscience, immunology, biochemistry, genomics, evolutionary biology. The default preprint server for most basic research.

biorxiv.org | Free to post

medRxiv

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory + Yale + BMJ. For health sciences, clinical medicine, epidemiology, public health, and clinical trials. Use medRxiv if your work involves patient data, clinical outcomes, or health policy implications.

medrxiv.org | Free to post | Additional screening for clinical content

medRxiv caution: medRxiv adds a brief screening check for clinical manuscripts that could affect patient behavior. Papers involving clinical trials, drug efficacy, or public health recommendations take slightly longer to appear (~1–2 days). This is by design.

Preprint policies for biomedical journals

Search journals, policy status, preferred preprint servers, and disclosure notes. Export the current view or copy rows into a lab submission guide or publishing policy sheet.

57 of 57 rows

Visible journals

57

Policy statuses

3

medRxiv mentions

27

Quick filters
Policy status
Export

Allowed

Blood

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / medRxiv

Notes

ASH journals updated policy to allow preprints; disclosure required

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / medRxiv

Notes

BioMed Central; preprints encouraged

Encouraged

BMJ Open

Policy

Encouraged

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

BMJ encourages preprints; BMJ Open has a direct medRxiv submission pathway. Disclose preprint link at submission. No embargo.

Allowed

Brain

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / medRxiv

Notes

Oxford University Press allows preprints

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / medRxiv

Notes

Cell Press (Elsevier) welcomes preprints on bioRxiv or medRxiv. Disclose the preprint DOI and URL in the cover letter at submission. The preprint must be disclosed at submission; authors are asked to confirm no confidential peer review has taken place during submission review.

Allowed

Cell

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / any

Notes

Cell Press welcomes submission of manuscripts with associated preprints

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Cell Press (Elsevier) allows preprints on bioRxiv before or during submission. Authors must disclose the preprint link in the cover letter. Does not constitute prior publication under Cell Press policy.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Cell Press (Elsevier) allows preprints on bioRxiv before or during submission. Authors must disclose the preprint link in the cover letter. Does not constitute prior publication under Cell Press policy.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Cell Press (Elsevier) allows preprints on bioRxiv before or during submission. Authors must disclose the preprint link in the cover letter. Does not constitute prior publication under Cell Press policy.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Cell Press (Elsevier) allows preprints on bioRxiv before or during submission. Authors must disclose the preprint link in the cover letter. Does not constitute prior publication under Cell Press policy.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

AHA journals allow preprints on recognized servers; disclosure required

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / medRxiv

Notes

AHA journals permit preprints on bioRxiv, medRxiv, or other recognized servers. Preprint posting does not constitute prior publication under AHA policy. Disclose the preprint at submission.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Cell Press (Elsevier) allows preprints on bioRxiv before or during submission. Authors must disclose the preprint link in the cover letter. Does not constitute prior publication under Cell Press policy.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Cell Press (Elsevier) allows preprints on bioRxiv before or during submission. Authors must disclose the preprint link in the cover letter. Does not constitute prior publication under Cell Press policy.

Encouraged

eLife

Policy

Encouraged

Preferred server

bioRxiv / medRxiv

Notes

eLife strongly encourages preprints and has a direct submission pathway from bioRxiv; reviewed preprints published regardless of outcome

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv / bioRxiv

Notes

ESC/Oxford allows preprint posting before and during peer review

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / any

Notes

Frontiers journals allow preprints; authors must disclose

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv / bioRxiv

Notes

AGA/Elsevier allows preprints; authors should disclose on submission

Encouraged

Genome Biology

Policy

Encouraged

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

BioMed Central; fully OA; preprints strongly encouraged

Allowed

GUT

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv / bioRxiv

Notes

BMJ journals allow preprints and actively encourage posting on medRxiv. BMJ has a direct submission pathway from medRxiv. Disclose preprint link in the cover letter; no embargo on posting.

Allowed

Hepatology

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv / bioRxiv

Notes

AASLD/Wiley allows preprints; disclose at submission

Allowed

Immunity

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Cell Press (Elsevier) allows preprints on bioRxiv before or during submission. Authors must disclose the preprint link in the cover letter. Does not constitute prior publication under Cell Press policy.

Allowed

JACC

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

ACC journals permit preprints; authors encouraged to disclose

Allowed

JAMA

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

JAMA Network journals accept preprints on medRxiv; authors should disclose on submission

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

JAMA Network journals accept manuscripts with associated preprints on recognized servers. Disclose the preprint DOI and server in the cover letter. Preprint should be clearly labeled as not peer-reviewed.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

JAMA Network journals accept manuscripts with associated preprints on recognized servers. Disclose the preprint DOI and server in the cover letter. Preprint should be clearly labeled as not peer-reviewed.

Policy

Not allowed

Preferred server

–

Notes

JCI does not permit posting manuscripts to preprint servers prior to publication. This is a firm policy: verify on JCI author guidelines before submitting.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

ASCO journals accept manuscripts posted as preprints; authors should note preprint link

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

SfN journals allow preprints; encouraged for NIH-funded research

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

Lancet family journals (Elsevier) permit preprints on medRxiv or recognized servers before and during review. Disclosure of preprint DOI required in the cover letter at submission.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

Lancet family journals (Elsevier) permit preprints on medRxiv or recognized servers before and during review. Disclosure of preprint DOI required in the cover letter at submission.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Cell Press (Elsevier) allows preprints on bioRxiv before or during submission. Authors must disclose the preprint link in the cover letter. Does not constitute prior publication under Cell Press policy.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / medRxiv

Notes

Springer Nature allows preprints on bioRxiv or recognized servers before or after submission. Authors should disclose the preprint link at submission. Does not affect editorial consideration.

Allowed

Nature

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / any

Notes

Allows preprints; preprint posting does not affect editorial consideration

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / ChemRxiv

Notes

Springer Nature allows preprints on bioRxiv or recognized servers before or after submission. Authors should disclose the preprint link at submission. Does not affect editorial consideration.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / ChemRxiv

Notes

Springer Nature; ChemRxiv also accepted

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / any

Notes

Fully OA; preprint posting actively supported

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Springer Nature allows preprints on bioRxiv or recognized servers before or after submission. Authors should disclose the preprint link at submission. Does not affect editorial consideration.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Springer Nature allows preprints on bioRxiv or recognized servers before or after submission. Authors should disclose the preprint link at submission. Does not affect editorial consideration.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / medRxiv

Notes

Springer Nature group-wide policy allows preprints

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Springer Nature allows preprints on bioRxiv or recognized servers before or after submission. Authors should disclose the preprint link at submission. Does not affect editorial consideration.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Springer Nature supports preprint posting on bioRxiv or other recognized servers before submission. Disclose the preprint link in the cover letter. Policy is consistent across all Springer Nature titles.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Springer Nature allows preprints on bioRxiv or recognized servers before or after submission. Authors should disclose the preprint link at submission. Does not affect editorial consideration.

Allowed

NEJM

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

Permits preprints posted on recognized servers before or during submission. The historical Ingelfinger rule restricted prior publication but does not apply to recognized preprint servers. Authors should disclose the preprint DOI at submission.

Allowed

Neuron

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

Cell Press (Elsevier) allows preprints on bioRxiv before or during submission. Authors must disclose the preprint link in the cover letter. Does not constitute prior publication under Cell Press policy.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / any

Notes

Oxford allows preprints for all submission types

Encouraged

PLOS Medicine

Policy

Encouraged

Preferred server

medRxiv / bioRxiv

Notes

PLOS encourages preprints

Encouraged

PLOS ONE

Policy

Encouraged

Preferred server

bioRxiv / any

Notes

PLOS actively encourages preprint posting; direct submission from bioRxiv/medRxiv available

Allowed

PNAS

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / any

Notes

NAS strongly supports preprints; NIH encourages preprint posting for PNAS authors with NIH funding

Allowed

Science

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / any

Notes

Accepts papers with posted preprints; authors must disclose

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / any

Notes

AAAS policy allows preprints

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / medRxiv

Notes

AAAS journals allow preprints on bioRxiv or medRxiv before or after submission. Disclose the preprint DOI in the cover letter. Does not affect editorial consideration at STM.

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

bioRxiv / any

Notes

Springer Nature allows preprints on bioRxiv or recognized servers before or after submission. Authors should disclose the preprint link at submission. Does not affect editorial consideration.

Encouraged

The BMJ

Policy

Encouraged

Preferred server

medRxiv

Notes

BMJ actively encourages preprint posting and has a formal preprint partnership with medRxiv

Policy

Encouraged

Preferred server

bioRxiv

Notes

EMBO Press has a direct submission pathway from bioRxiv

Allowed

The Lancet

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv preferred

Notes

Lancet family journals accept manuscripts previously posted as preprints

Policy

Allowed

Preferred server

medRxiv preferred

Notes

Lancet family journals (Elsevier) permit preprints on medRxiv or recognized servers before and during review. Disclosure of preprint DOI required in the cover letter at submission.

Practical Guidance

When to post a preprint

Most researchers post at the same time as or just before journal submission. This establishes priority without delaying the journal submission. Some post earlier to get community feedback before finalizing the manuscript. This works well for computational/methods papers where community scrutiny catches errors quickly.

Don't post if your target journal explicitly prohibits it (currently only JCI in this list) or if you haven't checked the policy. A policy violation can complicate submission.

What to disclose at submission

Most journals that allow preprints ask you to disclose that a preprint exists in the cover letter or submission form. Include the preprint DOI. This is a transparency requirement, not a problem. Editors expect it.

If the manuscript is revised substantially after peer review, update the preprint to reflect the final version. Both bioRxiv and medRxiv allow version updates.

Practical note

Three preprint mistakes that still create avoidable submission friction

Posting before checking the target journal’s current policy and assuming every major title has the same stance.
Using the wrong server for a clinically sensitive manuscript when medRxiv screening is the better fit.
Forgetting to disclose the preprint DOI or link at submission even when the journal explicitly asks for it.

References

  1. Fraser N, Momeni F, Mayr P, Peters I. The relationship between bioRxiv preprints, citations and altmetrics. Quantitative Science Studies. 2020;1(2):618-638. [doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00043 ↗]
  2. bioRxiv. About bioRxiv: the preprint server for biology. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Retrieved February 2026. [biorxiv.org ↗]
  3. medRxiv. About medRxiv: the preprint server for health sciences. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory / BMJ / Yale. Retrieved February 2026. [medrxiv.org ↗]
  4. ASAPbio. Preprint FAQ for researchers and journals. Retrieved February 2026. [asapbio.org ↗]
  5. SHERPA/RoMEO. Publisher copyright policies and self-archiving database. Jisc. Retrieved February 2026. [sherpa.ac.uk/romeo ↗]
Data note: Preprint policies are sourced from individual journal author instructions and publisher policy pages as of February 2026. Policies change: always verify on the target journal's current author guidelines before posting. For detailed journal-by-journal policies, SHERPA/RoMEO is the authoritative database. These pages are permanently maintained. For accuracy corrections or updates, contact hello@manusights.com.

Ready to apply this to a real draft?

Move from reference guidance to a manuscript-specific check

Use the public submission-readiness path when you already have a manuscript and need a draft-specific signal, not just a general guide.

Best for researchers who want a fast readiness read before deciding whether to revise, retarget, or submit.

Run submission-readiness checkSee sample report
Public pathHow manuscript handling works

Related guides in this collection

Author Rights Guide

Use this when preprint and accepted-manuscript questions turn into rights and embargo questions.

Open Access Guide

Connect preprint strategy to APCs, funder mandates, and journal policies.

Data Sharing Requirements

Plan repository and data-availability steps alongside preprint posting.

Reference Library

Return to the broader publishing reference library for timelines, specs, and policy guides.

Author Rights GuideAll ResourcesOpen Access Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Does posting a preprint count as prior publication?

No. For almost all journals (56 of the 57 covered here), preprint posting does not constitute prior publication. Journals treat the preprint as a public draft, not a published work. The sole exception in this list is the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), which explicitly prohibits preprint posting before publication. Always confirm on the target journal's current author guidelines.

Should I post to bioRxiv or medRxiv?

Use bioRxiv for basic life sciences research: molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, neuroscience, immunology, biochemistry, and genomics. Use medRxiv for clinical medicine, epidemiology, public health, and research involving patient data or health outcomes. When in doubt, check which server your target journal recommends - many (like NEJM and JAMA) specify medRxiv for clinical manuscripts.

Will posting a preprint hurt my chances of journal acceptance?

No. There is no evidence that preprint posting reduces acceptance rates. Most top journals (Nature, Science, Cell, NEJM, JAMA, Lancet) explicitly allow and some actively encourage preprints. Editors evaluate the manuscript on its scientific merit, not on whether a preprint exists. Some journals - including eLife and PLOS ONE - have formal direct submission pathways from bioRxiv, treating preprint posting as a positive signal.