目的:预印本是在同行评审之前发布到预印本服务器的研究手稿的一个版本。预印本使作者能够快速公开地分享研究,提供权宜反馈的机会,并能够立即列出有关赠款和晋升申请的研究。在医学教育中,大多数期刊欢迎预印本,这表明预印本在该领域的话语中发挥作用。然而,对医学教育预印本知之甚少,包括作者特征,预打印使用,和最终出版状态。本研究提供了预印本在医学教育中的概述,以更好地理解它们在该领域的话语中的作用。
方法:作者询问medRxiv,预打印存储库,识别分类为“医学教育”的预印本和下载的相关元数据。CrossRef被要求收集有关后来在期刊上发表的预印本的信息。数据采用描述性统计分析。
结果:在2019年至2022年之间,medRxiv将204个预印本分类为“医学教育,“大部分存款在2021年(n=76,37.3%)。平均而言,预印本全文下载1875.2次,所有这些都是在社交媒体上推广的。预印本被创作,平均而言,5.9作者通讯作者来自41个国家,在美国占45.6%,英国,和加拿大。几乎一半(n=101,49.5%)的文章主要在同行评审的期刊上发表。预印本出现在65种同行评审的期刊上,以BMC医学教育(n=9,8.9%)为代表。
结论:医学教育研究正在作为预印本存放,被提升,大量访问,随后在同行评审的期刊上发表,包括医学教育期刊。考虑到预印本的好处和医学教育出版的缓慢,预印沉积很可能会增加,预印将被整合到该领域的话语中。作者提出了下一步步骤,以促进负责任和有效地创建和使用预印本。
OBJECTIVE: A preprint is a version of a research manuscript posted to a preprint server prior to peer review. Preprints enable authors to quickly and openly share research, afford opportunities for expedient feedback, and enable immediate listing of research on grant and promotion applications. In medical education, most journals welcome preprints, which suggests that preprints play a role in the field\'s discourse. Yet, little is known about medical education preprints, including author characteristics, preprint use, and ultimate publication status. This study provides an overview of preprints in medical education to better understand their role in the field\'s discourse.
METHODS: The authors queried medRxiv, a preprint repository, to identify preprints categorized as \"medical education\" and downloaded related metadata. CrossRef was queried to gather information on preprints later published in journals. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: Between 2019 and 2022, 204 preprints were classified in medRxiv as \"medical education,\" with most deposited in 2021 (n = 76; 37.3%). On average, preprint full-texts were downloaded 1,875.2 times, and all were promoted on social media. Preprints were authored, on average, by 5.9 authors. Corresponding authors were based in 41 countries, with 45.6% in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Almost half (n = 101; 49.5%) became published articles in predominantly peer-reviewed journals. Preprints appeared in 65 peer-reviewed journals, with BMC Medical Education (n = 9; 8.9%) most represented.
CONCLUSIONS: Medical education research is being deposited as preprints, which are promoted, heavily accessed, and subsequently published in peer-reviewed journals, including medical education journals. Considering the benefits of preprints and the slowness of medical education publishing, it is likely that preprint depositing will increase and preprints will be integrated into the field\'s discourse. The authors propose next steps to facilitate responsible and effective creation and use of preprints.