Authors FAQs - F1000Research

Is F1000Research a preprint server? + ‐

No. A preprint server is a repository for pre-publication draft versions of papers that are, usually, subsequently submitted to journals for peer review and publication. F1000Research is a publishing platform. All our articles, whether pre- or post-peer review, have DOIs and are fully published; they are not preprints. Articles submitted to F1000Research should not be resubmitted to other journals, regardless of peer review outcome, as this would count as duplicate publication.

So even prior to peer review, articles in F1000Research are “published” in the strictest sense of the word? + ‐

Yes, they are published. “Peer review” and “publication” are two independent concepts. Most journals peer review and then publish; we publish then peer review.

Are articles checked for quality before they are published? + ‐

Yes. Our in-house editorial team checks that each submission is appropriate in terms of content, quality, tone and format. We also check that submissions are complete, we check for plagiarism, and we ensure that articles meet ethical standards. Finally, we make sure that all data are included, that the methods section contains adequate protocol information to make the data useful (such as adherence to the (ARRIVE) guidelines for animal research), the writing is understandable, and that all requirements in our article guidelines are met.

What kinds of articles does F1000Research publish? + ‐

F1000Research publishes standard research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, opinion pieces, and commentaries, as well as data notes, case reports, clinical practice papers, study protocols, method articles, research notes, and software tools, across the life sciences. For a detailed description of each article type, please see our article guidelines. F1000Research is equally pleased to publish positive and negative or null studies, as well as replication and refutation studies.

I understand that F1000Research allows authors to publish revised versions of their articles. What if I cite a paper and a new version is uploaded afterwards? + ‐

All versions of every article are retained and are accessible to readers, but if you visit an older version of an article, for example via a citation, a message will appear on-screen to alert you that there is a newer version available. If you have stored an older version of the article's PDF in a reference manager or on your computer, you can check for currency by using the CrossMark button: when you click it you will be able to see immediately if newer versions of the article are available.

What is F1000Research's impact factor? + ‐

F1000Research doesn’t have an Impact Factor yet. It formally launched in January 2013, and because an Impact Factor is calculated based on the total number of citations for articles published in the two preceding years, it is not eligible for one yet.

However, we do provide article-level metrics, such as the number of views or PDF downloads, to help you assess the impact of individual papers.

What is the difference between the different badges on articles: Update, Updated, Revised? + ‐

Publication in F1000Research is much more dynamic than in traditional journals and our articles are still ‘developing’ after the authors’ initial version is published. To distinguish more clearly between different types of article versions, we label them with the following badges:

“Revised” is a new version that usually incorporates changes in response to the referees' comments;
“Update” is a new version, often after the article is indexed and/or the peer review is considered complete, in which authors can add small developments relevant to research discussed in that article.

The black “Updated” badge is no longer being used.