Research From the University of Georgia Finds “75% of People Don’t Really Know What a Preprint Is”

From the University of Georgia:

New research from the University of Georgia suggests most people don’t understand the difference between a preprint and a published academic journal article.

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The study found the majority of readers have little to no understanding of what a preprint actually is. That lack of understanding could lead to public distrust in science since findings and how those findings are described can change between the preprint phase and publication following peer review. Frequent reporting of scientific preprints could also hurt trust in news.

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“With preprints, there are still uncertainties that haven’t been ironed out,” said Chelsea Ratcliff, lead author of the study and an assistant professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of communication studies. “A lot of preprints never even get published. I really think it’s important that the public understands that.

“If people are basing attitudes, for example, about a new drug on evidence from a preprint or if they’re basing health decisions on a preprint, they should be able to have a sense of its preliminary nature.”

Learn More, Read the Complete Article

Direct to Journal Paper Cited in the UGA Article: Framing COVID-19 Preprint Research as Uncertain: A Mixed-Method Study of Public Reaction (2023)

Filed under: Journal Articles, News