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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the growth of preprints. For scientists and health professionals, the pandemic has driven the need to share research findings about COVID-19, however preliminary, as quickly as possible to better understand its pathology, find new therapeutic options, and inform policy. Public demand for information about COVID-19 has driven the increase in media reporting of research posted as preprints. Even before the pandemic, there was a call for scientists to better understand the work of journalists, and the pandemic has made bridging the gap between the scientific and media communities, particularly in relation to communicating scientific uncertainty, an imperative.
Last year, ASAPbio conducted the #bioPreprints2020 questionnaire, an online survey of a wide range of stakeholders, including librarians, researchers, journalists, and funders, to understand perceived benefits and concerns about preprints. ASAPbio (Accelerating Science and Publication in biology) ...
