1 research outputs found
The Emergence of Preprints: Comparing Publishing Behaviour in the Global South and the Global North
Purpose: The recent proliferation of preprints could be a way for researchers
worldwide to increase the availability and visibility of their research
findings. Against the background of rising publication costs caused by the
increasing prevalence of article processing fees, the search for other ways to
publish research results besides traditional journal publication may increase.
This could be especially true for lower-income countries.
Design/methodology/approach: Therefore, we are interested in the experiences
and attitudes towards posting and using preprints in the Global South as
opposed to the Global North. To explore whether motivations and concerns about
posting preprints differ, we adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining a
quantitative survey of researchers with focus group interviews. Findings: We
found that respondents from the Global South were more likely to agree to
adhere to policies and to emphasise that mandates could change publishing
behaviour towards open access. They were also more likely to agree posting
preprints has a positive impact. Respondents from the Global South and the
Global North emphasised the importance of peer-reviewed research for career
advancement. Originality: The study has identified a wide range of experiences
with and attitudes towards posting preprints among researchers in the Global
South and the Global North. To our knowledge, this has hardly been studied
before, which is also because preprints only have emerged lately in many
disciplines and countries