bioRxiv

bioRxiv is a free online archive and distribution service for unpublished scientific papers in the life sciences and medicine, operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. It was launched in 2013 by John Inglis and Richard Sever, with the goal of speeding up the dissemination of research findings and facilitating peer review. The service is modeled after the arXiv repository, which has been successful in the physics and mathematics communities, and has been endorsed by prominent scientists such as Harold Varmus and David Baltimore. National Institutes of Health and Wellcome Trust have also supported the initiative, recognizing the potential of preprint servers like bioRxiv to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery.

Introduction

bioRxiv allows researchers to share their manuscripts before they have been peer-reviewed and published in a traditional scientific journal, such as Nature, Science, or Cell. This approach enables scientists to receive feedback from the scientific community and to establish priority of discovery, as seen in the cases of CRISPR and gene editing. By posting their work on bioRxiv, researchers can also comply with funding agency requirements, such as those of the National Science Foundation and the European Research Council, which encourage or mandate the sharing of research results. Moreover, bioRxiv has been integrated with other scientific platforms, including PubMed and Google Scholar, to enhance the visibility and accessibility of preprints. Researchers from Harvard University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been among the most active users of the platform.

History

The concept of preprint servers dates back to the 1990s, when Paul Ginsparg launched arXiv at Los Alamos National Laboratory. However, it wasn't until the launch of bioRxiv in 2013 that the life sciences community began to adopt this model, with support from institutions like University of California, Berkeley and University of Oxford. In the following years, bioRxiv experienced rapid growth, with the number of submissions increasing from a few hundred in 2013 to tens of thousands in 2020, including research from Columbia University and University of Cambridge. The service has been endorsed by prominent scientists, including Eric Lander and Jennifer Doudna, and has been integrated with other scientific platforms, such as Figshare and Zenodo, which are used by researchers from California Institute of Technology and University of Chicago.

Functionality

bioRxiv allows authors to submit their manuscripts in a variety of formats, including PDF and Word. The submission process is straightforward, and authors can choose to make their manuscripts publicly available immediately or after a delay. Readers can access and download preprints for free, and can also provide feedback to the authors through a commenting system. bioRxiv also provides metrics on usage and citation of preprints, which can be useful for authors and funding agencies, such as National Institute of General Medical Sciences and Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Additionally, bioRxiv has partnerships with journals like eLife and PLOS, which enable seamless transfer of manuscripts between the preprint server and the journal, facilitating the work of researchers from Duke University and Johns Hopkins University.

Impact

The impact of bioRxiv on the scientific community has been significant, with many researchers using the platform to share their findings and receive feedback. bioRxiv has also been credited with accelerating the pace of scientific discovery, particularly in fields like genomics and synthetic biology, where researchers from Broad Institute and Whitehead Institute have been active contributors. Moreover, bioRxiv has enabled researchers to establish priority of discovery, which is essential in competitive fields like cancer research and infectious disease research, where scientists from University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St. Louis have made significant contributions. bioRxiv has also been recognized as a valuable resource for science journalists and policy makers, who can use the platform to stay up-to-date with the latest research findings, including those from University of California, San Francisco and Baylor College of Medicine.

Criticisms_and_controversies

Despite its many benefits, bioRxiv has also faced criticisms and controversies. Some researchers have expressed concerns about the lack of peer review on the platform, which can make it difficult to evaluate the quality of preprints. Others have raised concerns about the potential for misinformation and misuse of preprints, particularly in sensitive fields like public health and biodefense, where researchers from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization have been involved. Additionally, bioRxiv has faced criticism for its handling of controversial or sensitive topics, such as gene editing and stem cell research, which have been studied by scientists from University of California, Los Angeles and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Governance_and_funding

bioRxiv is governed by a board of directors that includes representatives from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, National Institutes of Health, and other scientific organizations, such as American Association for the Advancement of Science and European Molecular Biology Organization. The platform is funded by a combination of grants and donations from funding agencies and philanthropic organizations, including Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. bioRxiv has also partnered with other organizations, such as PeerJ and F1000Research, to support the development of new features and services, which have been used by researchers from University of Michigan and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Overall, the governance and funding model of bioRxiv has enabled the platform to maintain its independence and integrity, while also ensuring its sustainability and growth, with support from institutions like Carnegie Institution for Science and Scripps Research Institute. Category:Scientific repositories