  Preprint is a version of a scientific paper that is publicly distributed
preceding formal peer review. Since the launch of arXiv in 1991, preprints have
been increasingly distributed over the Internet as opposed to paper copies. It
allows open online access to disseminate the original research within a few
days, often at a very low operating cost. This work overviews how preprint has
been evolving and impacting the research community over the past thirty years
alongside the growth of the Web. In this work, we first report that the number
of preprints has exponentially increased 63 times in 30 years, although it only
accounts for 4% of research articles. Second, we quantify the benefits that
preprints bring to authors: preprints reach an audience 14 months earlier on
average and associate with five times more citations compared with a
non-preprint counterpart. Last, to address the quality concern of preprints, we
discover that 41% of preprints are ultimately published at a peer-reviewed
destination, and the published venues are as influential as papers without a
preprint version. Additionally, we discuss the unprecedented role of preprints
in communicating the latest research data during recent public health
emergencies. In conclusion, we provide quantitative evidence to unveil the
positive impact of preprints on individual researchers and the community.
Preprints make scholarly communication more efficient by disseminating
scientific discoveries more rapidly and widely with the aid of Web
technologies. The measurements we present in this study can help researchers
and policymakers make informed decisions about how to effectively use and
responsibly embrace a preprint culture.
