JACC: Basic to Translational Science and Preprint Servers

I am pleased to announce that in 2020, JACC: Basic to Translational Science will offer authors the ability to have their submitted papers placed on a preprint server while their paper is undergoing peer review. The editors believe that this decision is consistent with the governing ethos of the Journal, which is committed to becoming the forum and learning center for translational cardiovascular investigators in academia and industry, for patients and families affected by heart disease, for the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute, and for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Although we are still working through the details of the implementation process as we go to press, our vision is that authors will opt in to having their submission displayed on a dedicated JACC: Basic to Translational Science preprint server. Authors who prefer not to have their work placed on the preprint server will have that choice as the default option. As soon as the article is posted on the server, the preprint will be assigned a unique digital object identifier (DOI) that will allow the article to become a permanent part of the scientific record. Updated versions of the manuscript can be uploaded onto the preprint server during the review process, and accepted articles will be permanently archived on the JACC: Basic to Translational Science preprint server.

If I am an author, what are the advantages of having my article placed on the JACC: Basic to Translational Science preprint server? Before addressing this question, it is instructive to pause and briefly review how and why preprint servers came into existence. Preprint servers have been around for 25+ years in fields such as high-energy physics, where collaboration and co-authorship are commonplace, as well as in economics, a field that has a historically long editorial review process. Although the life sciences were slow to adopt the use of preprint servers, the number of preprint servers has grown exponentially over the past 2 to 3 years. Today, many high impact basic science and clinical science journals are offering authors the ability to place their work on preprint servers. The primary reason that attracts authors to use preprint severs is because it facilitates the ultra-rapid dissemination of their ideas and allows their work to be become freely accessible worldwide. Because of the length of the review process and the time that it takes to revise manuscripts, the DOI of the preprint article allows researchers to place a public digital time stamp on their discoveries to establish the historical primacy of their findings. Small startup companies can use preprints to showcase their preclinical and early phase clinical studies to potential investors. Academic investigators can cite the DOI of their preprint in their National Institutes of Health submissions or annual renewals. Young scientists can use preprints to demonstrate their research productivity to promotion committees or potential employers, allowing them to establish their creditability much faster than would be otherwise possible. Patients and patient care groups may also learn about new and emerging therapies that are in early phase clinical studies that they may want to participate in. In closing, the Editors recognize that there may be a downside to posting preprints online before they have undergone rigorous peer review, and that we will have to make every effort to safeguard against disseminating fake news. However, we believe that this next step will bring the Journal closer to fulfilling its stated mission of “create(ing) an open access journal that will serve as a platform for accelerating the translation of new scientific discoveries into new therapies that improve clinical outcomes for patients afflicted with or at risk for cardiovascular disease.” (1). As always, we welcome your thoughts on the implementation of preprint servers for JACC: Basic to Translational Science, either through social media (Twitter: #JACC:BTS) or by email (jaccbts@acc.org).