Preprint Policy

Primary Care Science and Practice (PCSP) supports the progress of Open Science and the rapid dissemination of research. Therefore, we permit the submission of manuscripts that have been previously shared as preprints (versions of a manuscript shared before formal peer review on non-commercial servers).

A preprint submission is not considered a prior or duplicate publication. To ensure a smooth editorial process, authors must adhere to the following conditions:

1. Mandatory Disclosure

Authors must disclose the existence of a preprint and provide its Digital Object Identifier (DOI) in the Cover Letter during the initial submission. This disclosure is crucial to ensure that the manuscript is not incorrectly flagged by plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin).

2. Peer Review Integrity

All submitted manuscripts, including those shared as preprints, will undergo the same rigorous double-blind peer review process. The prior availability of a preprint will not influence the editorial decision.

3. Linkage and Update (Post-Publication)

Upon acceptance and publication in PCSP, authors are obligated to update the preprint record with a link to the Version of Record (the final published article). This should include the formal DOI and a statement such as:

"This article has been published in Primary Care Science and Practice (PCSP) at [Link/DOI]."

4. Media and Public Communication

While preprints are available to the public, authors should be cautious when communicating preprint results to the media. It must be clearly stated that the findings have not yet undergone formal peer review and should not be used to guide clinical practice or policy-making until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

5. Citation Priority

Authors and readers are strongly advised to cite the final published article (Version of Record) in PCSP rather than the preprint version in all future academic and professional works to ensure the use of the most accurate and peer-validated data.