The Impact of Preprints on COVID-19 Research Dissemination: A Quantitative Analysis of Journal Publications

Abstract

Preprints have played an unprecedented role in disseminating COVID-19-related science results to the public. The study aims to elucidate the role of preprints during the COVID-19 public health emergency (2020-2023) through a quantitative analysis of journal papers. Among the 247,854 COVID-19-related papers published in PubMed, 12,152 were initially released as preprints and were eventually published in 1,380 journals. This number is more than five times the 246 journals to which submissions can be made directly from bioRxiv through the B2J program. Journals with higher impact factors and Normalized Eigenfactor scores tend to publish a larger number of preprint-derived articles. The proportion of preprints among PubMed papers was 0.049, but this varies significantly by journal. In the top 30 journals, most exceed this proportion, indicating that these journals are preferred by authors for submitting their work. These findings highlight the growing acceptance and impact of preprints in the scientific community, particularly in high-impact journals.