Department of Medicine, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2021 Mar 8;16(3):479-486. doi: 10.2215/CJN.03800320. Epub 2020 Jul 17.
Preprint servers, such as arXiv and bioRxiv, have disrupted the scientific communication landscape by providing rapid access to research before peer review. medRxiv was launched as a free online repository for preprints in the medical, clinical, and related health sciences in 2019. In this review, we present the uptake of preprint server use in nephrology and discuss specific considerations regarding preprint server use in medicine. Distribution of kidney-related research on preprint servers is rising at an exponential rate. Survey of nephrology journals identified that 15 of 17 (88%) are publishing original research accepted submissions that have been uploaded to preprint servers. After reviewing 52 clinically impactful trials in nephrology discussed in the online Nephrology Journal Club (NephJC), an average lag of 300 days was found between study completion and publication, indicating an opportunity for faster research dissemination. Rapid review of papers discussing benefits and risks of preprint server use from the researcher, publisher, or end user perspective identified 53 papers that met criteria. Potential benefits of biomedical preprint servers included rapid dissemination, improved transparency of the peer review process, greater visibility and recognition, and collaboration. However, these benefits come at the risk of rapid spread of results not yet subjected to the rigors of peer review. Preprint servers shift the burden of critical appraisal to the reader. Media may be especially at risk due to their focus on "late-breaking" information. Preprint servers have played an even larger role when late-breaking research results are of special interest, such as during the global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Coronavirus disease 2019 has brought both the benefits and risks of preprint servers to the forefront. Given the prominent online presence of the nephrology community, it is poised to lead the medicine community in appropriate use of preprint servers.
预印本服务器，如 arXiv 和 bioRxiv，通过在同行评审之前提供对研究的快速访问，打破了科学交流格局。medRxiv 于 2019 年作为一个免费的在线预印本存储库，用于医学、临床和相关健康科学。在这篇综述中，我们介绍了预印本服务器在肾脏病学中的使用情况，并讨论了在医学中使用预印本服务器的具体考虑因素。在预印本服务器上发布的与肾脏相关的研究呈指数级增长。对肾脏病学杂志的调查发现，17 种（88%）接受提交的原创研究正在发表，这些研究已经上传到预印本服务器。在回顾了在线肾脏病学杂志俱乐部（NephJC）中讨论的 52 项具有临床影响力的肾脏病学试验后，发现研究完成和发表之间存在 300 天的平均滞后，表明有更快的研究传播机会。快速审查了从研究人员、出版商或最终用户的角度讨论预印本服务器使用的好处和风险的论文，确定了 53 篇符合标准的论文。生物医学预印本服务器的潜在好处包括快速传播、同行评审过程透明度的提高、更大的可见度和认可度以及合作。然而，这些好处伴随着研究结果尚未经过同行评审严格审查而迅速传播的风险。预印本服务器将批判性评估的负担转移给了读者。媒体可能尤其面临风险，因为它们专注于“最新”信息。当特别关注研究结果时，预印本服务器发挥了更大的作用，例如在全球 2019 年冠状病毒病大流行期间。2019 年冠状病毒病使预印本服务器的好处和风险都摆在了前沿。鉴于肾脏病学社区在网上的突出存在，它有望在适当使用预印本服务器方面引领医学社区。
