Unrefereed work is not worthless. A great deal of it survives review substantially unchanged. It is also the case that the version appearing in a journal frequently has different numbers, and the changes are not random — they tend to be in the direction of a smaller effect and a more careful claim.
Topic summary
When a preprint is the best available evidence and we say so — a second dataset
This is a generated summary. It shows the 5 most-liked posts from a topic of 25, in their original order, with the accepted answer included where one exists. It is a reading aid and it will miss nuance — the full topic is the record.
w.moreau, post #1: When a preprint is the best available evidence and we say so — a second dataset I have a specific reason for asking rather than idle curiosity, and the context is below. I have seen SUSTAIN 6 ( N Engl J Med , 2016) cited in support of a claim I do not think it supports, twice this month, so I would like to work through what it actually… Go to post
va.baptista, post #5: Practical note that does not fit anywhere else. Whatever you conclude from this topic, write down what you did and when. The single most useful thing in your own records is not any individual result; it is that they are dated and consecutive. Go to post
Server repositories: medRxiv for medicine, bioRxiv for biology. Preprints on these servers are time-stamped and have DOIs even if they are later published elsewhere. Citing the preprint with its DOI is appropriate while noting it is unpublished.
Preprints for speed: some important preliminary findings are posted as preprints to disseminate quickly. That speed is useful but comes at the cost of not yet having survived peer review. The trade-off is real.
32 likes 15mo
Read the full topic (25 posts)
This topic was referenced in
- Why a preprint's supplementary material is often the best partEvidence › Preprints · 42 replies
Suggested topics
| Topic | Participants | Replies | Views | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Coming back to: Why a preprint's supplementary material is often the best part
Why a preprint's supplementary material is often the best part — that is the question, and I have not found it answered plainly anywhere I have looked. Comparing SURPASS-2 ( N Engl J Med , 2021) with STEP 4 (…
|
+109 | 116 | 36k | 2d |
|
How this community labels and discusses unrefereed work
How this community labels and discusses unrefereed work — that is the question, and I have not found it answered plainly anywhere I have looked. I have seen SCALE ( N Engl J Med , 2015) cited in support of a…
|
+112 | 119 | 1.3k | 2y |
|
Tracking a preprint to publication: a worked example — the long version
Posting this under the heading it deserves: Tracking a preprint to publication: a worked example — the long version Everything below is what sits behind that. Comparing STEP 8 ( JAMA , 2022) with STEP 2 (…
|
+38 | 47 | 560 | 22mo |
|
Conference abstracts as evidence: the weakest common citation
On the subject in the title: Conference abstracts as evidence: the weakest common citation Working notes rather than a conclusion. Session topic: SURMOUNT-1 ( N Engl J Med , 2022). Please read it before…
|
+1 | 5 | 2k | 9mo |
|
About the Preprints category
Unrefereed work, clearly labelled as such, with the usual caveats stated once and taken seriously. This post is a community wiki: any member at trust level 3 or above can edit it, and every edit is recorded…
|
+3 | 7 | 14k | 3mo |
Related topics — sharing the tags preprint, risk of bias, needs a source
| Topic | Participants | Replies | Views | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Journal club: FLOW and the renal composite, component by component
On the subject in the title: Journal club: FLOW and the renal composite, component by component Working notes rather than a conclusion. Session topic: STEP 2 ( Lancet , 2021). Please read it before posting;…
|
+84 | 91 | 18k | 2y |
|
BPC-157: what the rodent literature actually shows, and what it does not — does this still hold?
The question in the title: BPC-157: what the rodent literature actually shows, and what it does not — does this still hold? I will give what I have already checked below so nobody repeats it. I have seen…
|
+6 | 10 | 3.1k | 1d |
|
Journal club: PIONEER 6 as a safety trial
Posting this under the heading it deserves: Journal club: PIONEER 6 as a safety trial Everything below is what sits behind that. Session topic: SURMOUNT-4 ( JAMA , 2024). Please read it before posting; the…
|
+14 | 18 | 262 | 5mo |
|
Delayed gastric emptying and oral medication absorption: which drugs matter
On the subject in the title: Delayed gastric emptying and oral medication absorption: which drugs matter Working notes rather than a conclusion. Reporting something rather than asking about it, in case the…
|
+110 | 116 | 43k | 14mo |
|
[2026 update] Journal club: is percentage weight change the right endpoint?
Journal club: is percentage weight change the right endpoint? — that is the question, and I have not found it answered plainly anywhere I have looked. Comparing SURPASS-2 ( N Engl J Med , 2021) with…
|
+105 | 118 | 18k | 11mo |