Preprint Perspectives: Unveiling the Attitudes of Indian Researchers - A Survey Analysis

The movement towards open access has led to significant transformations in the scientific publishing system. One emergent area is the publication of an early version of the research paper in a preprint repository prior to the submission in the journal of choice. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of Indian researchers' attitudes towards preprints, drawing from a nationwide survey conducted by the Indian National Young Academy of Science (INYAS) in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology's Centre for Policy Research (DST-CPR), IISc. The survey aimed to understand preprint publication patterns and awareness across career stages and disciplines, commonly used preprint servers, perceived benefits, and concerns regarding preprints among Indian researchers.Findings indicate a modest engagement with preprints among Indian researchers, with a considerable majority yet to consider preprints as a viable option for early research dissemination. While researchers recognize that preprints can speed up research dissemination and increase visibility, concerns about scooping ideas and potential impacts on journal publication persist. The survey also highlights a discipline-wide variation in preprint adoption. This paper contributes to the ongoing dialogue on open science by highlighting the potential of preprints to democratize access to research findings while addressing the challenges that must be overcome to realize their benefits fully.