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.
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.
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
Preprint Policies for 57 Biomedical Journals
Policies are based on author guidelines as of early 2026. Always verify on the journal's current author instructions since policies evolve. One journal (JCI) explicitly prohibits preprints; all others permit or encourage them.
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.
References
- 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 ↗]
- bioRxiv. About bioRxiv: the preprint server for biology. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Retrieved February 2026. [biorxiv.org ↗]
- medRxiv. About medRxiv: the preprint server for health sciences. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory / BMJ / Yale. Retrieved February 2026. [medrxiv.org ↗]
- ASAPbio. Preprint FAQ for researchers and journals. Retrieved February 2026. [asapbio.org ↗]
- SHERPA/RoMEO. Publisher copyright policies and self-archiving database. Jisc. Retrieved February 2026. [sherpa.ac.uk/romeo ↗]
Suggested Citation
APA
Manusights. (2026). Preprints in biomedicine: bioRxiv, medRxiv, and journal preprint policies. Retrieved from https://manusights.com/resources/preprint-guide
MLA
Manusights. "Preprints in Biomedicine: bioRxiv, medRxiv, and Journal Preprint Policies." Manusights, 2026, manusights.com/resources/preprint-guide.
VANCOUVER
Manusights. Preprints in biomedicine: bioRxiv, medRxiv, and journal preprint policies [Internet]. 2026. Available from: https://manusights.com/resources/preprint-guide
CC BY 4.0 - share and adapt freely with attribution to Manusights (manusights.com/resources).
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.
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