Life sciences
bioRxiv
Not peer reviewed, edited, or typeset. Manuscripts undergo basic screening. Posted work is citable and normally remains part of the scholarly record.
Public release desk
Post only when the release decision survives six checks.
A biomedical preprint guide and four-page go/no-go record for journal policy, author consent, intellectual property, ethics, public claims, and version stewardship.
Manusights · Evidence checked September 15, 2026 · Four-page working record · CC BY 4.0
Sources and scope · Guide reviewed September 15, 2026
- Coverage
- Biomedical preprint release decisions, bioRxiv and medRxiv operating boundaries, target-journal checks, author consent, rights, ethics, public claims, and version stewardship
- Source basis
- bioRxiv, medRxiv, and ICMJE primary guidance; the retired 57-journal matrix and acceptance-effect claims were removed
Prepared by the Manusights editorial team. Publisher and institutional instructions take precedence.
Use this in the work
Download the Preprint release decision pack
Print it, complete it with collaborators, or adapt the original framework with attribution. The PDF is generated from the same reviewed evidence record as this page.
- Edition
- 2026.09.15-preprint-1
- Format
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- Evidence reviewed
- September 15, 2026
Server is a scope decision
Choose the record before choosing the reach
Health sciences
medRxiv
Not peer reviewed. Screening considers ethics, risk, and public-health implications. A data availability statement is required at submission.
Discipline or institution specific
Another server
Verify scope, moderation, disclosure, preservation, versioning, withdrawal, indexing, and the target journal's recognition of the server.
bioRxiv and medRxiv postings are not peer reviewed. Read the live server conditions before submitting. Source A and Source B.
Original Manusights release gate
Six checks, one exact version, one accountable decision
A single unresolved stop condition is enough to pause. A preprint cannot be made private again in the ordinary sense once it becomes a citable scholarly record.
1
Target-journal policy
Does the current journal or publisher instruction permit this server and timing?
Release evidence: Official policy URL, observation date, server conditions, required disclosure, and checker.
2
All-author consent
Has every author approved the exact public version and server?
Release evidence: Version identifier, approval record, authorship order, corresponding author, and unresolved objections.
3
Intellectual property
Could public disclosure affect a patent, sponsor term, collaboration, or third-party material?
Release evidence: Technology-transfer or rights review where relevant and documented clearance for reused material.
4
Ethics and privacy
Can every included datum, image, case detail, and identifier be made public?
Release evidence: Consent and ethics terms, de-identification review, data-access limits, and image permissions.
5
Public claims
Is the title, abstract, press language, and limitation framing appropriate for work not yet peer reviewed?
Release evidence: Risk review, statistical verification, limitations, and a communication owner.
6
License and versioning
Do you understand the server license, permanence, revision, withdrawal, and journal-update process?
Release evidence: Selected license, DOI, version owner, correction route, and published-article link plan.
Before posting
Verify the target journal yourself
ICMJE recommends checking the journal's preprint policy before posting. Record the official URL, server conditions, disclosure requirement, observation date, and reviewer. A remembered policy or third-party table is not enough. Source D.
Decision record
- Target journal and official policy
- Exact manuscript version and checksum
- All-author approval state
- IP, ethics, privacy, and rights clearance
- Selected server and license
- Post-publication update owner
1. Post
Save the DOI, version, license, posting date, and public limitations.
2. Revise
Describe meaningful changes and preserve traceability between versions.
3. Publish
Update the preprint record with the journal citation and link when the server supports it.
Evidence record
Sources, method, and limits
We treated posting as a release decision rather than a promotional tactic. Server guidance defines what posting does; ICMJE guidance establishes why authors must verify target-journal policy and remain responsible for the evolving public record.
About bioRxiv
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Locator: Screening, citation, permanence, revision, copyright, and license.
Supports: What bioRxiv is, what its screening is not, and the record, revision, copyright, and licensing boundaries.
Open official sourceSubmit a Manuscript to medRxiv
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Locator: Scope, screening, data statement, posting, and withdrawal.
Supports: medRxiv's submission, screening, data-availability, posting, and permanence conditions.
Open official sourcemedRxiv Frequently Asked Questions
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Locator: Review status, screening, server choice, and policy cautions.
Supports: The non-peer-reviewed status of medRxiv work and operational cautions for authors.
Open official sourceOverlapping Publications and Preprints
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Locator: Preprint policy and author responsibilities.
Supports: Checking the target journal, selecting an appropriate server, disclosure expectations, and updating the preprint with the published article.
Open official sourceLimit: This guide does not approve a preprint, establish a target journal's current policy, assess participant re-identification risk, clear intellectual property, predict publication outcomes, or replace author, ethics, legal, technology-transfer, communications, server, or publisher review.
Cite this resource
Citation formats
Free to use and cite, with attribution. See the reuse policy for what you may republish.
- APA
- Manusights. (2026). Preprint Release Decision (2026.09.15-preprint-1). https://manusights.com/resources/preprint-guide
- MLA
- Manusights. "Preprint Release Decision." Manusights, 15 Sept. 2026, https://manusights.com/resources/preprint-guide.
- Vancouver
- Manusights. Preprint Release Decision [Internet]. 2026 Sep 15. Available from: https://manusights.com/resources/preprint-guide