How to find a preprint server?

The Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe (CCSD) of France and the Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR) are pleased to announce the launch of a directory of open access preprint repositories.

What is a preprint?

It is the pre-print: a version of the document submitted to the editor before any peer review process.

Why list preprint servers?

Preprints are becoming an increasingly important part of the research communications landscape. Posting preprints allows researchers to share their research freely and rapidly with their colleagues and the broader community.

However, the community has no single tool to view the current preprint landscape. Existing registries are either exhaustive and cover all types of repositories or focus on preprints in a single discipline. This directory brings together all repositories that collect preprints into a single database, enabling users to choose the most suitable platform for their needs, and to have an overview of the preprint ecosystem.

The directory is built on the outcomes of a project undertaken by the French Committee for Open Science (Preprints Platforms Project) and supported by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR), which developed an extensive and detailed catalogue of preprint repositories. The current list of preprints documents over 90 preprint repositories along with details about their management, functionalities, and related services and their relation to open science criteria.

As part of the collaboration, COAR is hosting the preprint directory and CCSD is curating the metadata records ensuring the registry remains up-to-date.

The directory is available here: https://doapr.coar-repositories.org/