In addition to peer review and the resulting changes to the article from review feedback, there are several other differences between preprints and published articles.

Assigned Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Think of a DOI as a home address. There will be a different address for the preprint and the published article. If a preprint eventually becomes a published article, the preprint record may also include the Article DOI so researchers can find the final scholarly work. Notice the DOI address in the preprint screenshot. In the published article, the DOI will be different.

Associated Journal

Most scholarly articles will be published through specific research journals, whereas preprints can be posted prior to journal submission. As a result, citations to preprints generally carry the name of the preprint server or repository, in lieu of a journal.

Access

While most preprint servers and indices are open access, journals may have different access policies, including open access and paid subscriptions. Preprint servers may preserve all preprints so that you can access them even when the final article is published. To learn more about preprint server preservation policies, please refer to ASAPBio’s preprint server policy directory.

Exercises