The consistency of impact of preprints and their journal publications

In this paper, we study the consistency of impact of preprints and their journal versions, with the impact being measured using altmetrics and bibliometric indicators. We found that, compared with preprints that have not been published in journals, preprints subsequently published in journals performed better in altmetrics statistically, which accords with the peer review system. There was a positive correlation between the altmetrics performance of preprints and the journal impact factor when the preprint had been published in a journal. We also found a positive correlation between the performance of preprints and their corresponding journal papers, which confirms the consistency in academic community evaluation (peer review and citation) and general public attention (measured by altmetrics indicators). The impact of research is driven by its value, which could be distinguished by both the general public and the academic community. Research evaluation refers to the evaluation of individual research instead of where it is published. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study shows that preprints subsequently published in journals perform better in altmetrics, with a positive correlation between preprint altmetrics performance and journal impact factor. There is also a positive correlation between the performance of preprints and their corresponding journal papers, confirming consistency in evaluation by the academic community and general public attention.