We are happy to announce the launch of preLists, a new initiative within preLights where early-career researchers (preLighters) curate lists of preprints for the community. These lists follow two main themes: preprints on a specific topic or preprints which have been presented at scientific meetings. Our preLighters can also add brief one-liner summaries to each preprint and topic-specific lists are continuously updated as new studies come out.
- preLights is proud to announce its new initiative, preLists, to promote open science.
- preLights was launched by The Company of Biologists in February 2018.
- preLights is a preprint highlighting service by the community: it helps scientists navigate the ever-increasing volume of preprint literature.
- We have launched preLists to provide an even broader selection of interesting work, grouped into well-defined topics.
- These lists follow two main themes: preprints on a specific topic or preprints which have been presented at scientific meetings, such as technologies (e.g. preprints on CRISPR technology, biomolecular NMR or microscopy) or narrower research areas (e.g. preprints on zebrafish immunology, cellular metabolism and mitochondria or antimicrobials).
When we launched preLights 15 months ago, one of our main aims was to facilitate preprint commenting. With 400 preLight posts published so far, and over a third of them containing comments from authors, we hope to have played a small role in promoting discussion. We also wanted preLights to become a platform that helps scientists navigate the ever-increasing preprint literature. While preLighters contribute new posts each week to the website, due to the sheer volume of newly posted preprints they can only cover a fraction of the important new studies deposited in bioRxiv. With preLists, we want to provide an even broader selection of interesting work, grouped into well-defined topics, including technologies (e.g. preprints on CRISPR technology, biomolecular NMR or microscopy) or narrower research areas (e.g. preprints on zebrafish immunology, cellular metabolism and mitochondria or antimicrobials).
“Using preLists, researchers can learn about the latest scientific advances, posted as preprints, in various fields.” Máté Pálfy, Community Manager, preLights
In addition, preLists will also feature preprints that were presented at conferences, providing a useful service for both attendees and those who were not able to make it to the meeting. Researchers are now more willing to discuss their non-peer-reviewed work at scientific meetings because they have posted, or are in the process of posting, a preprint on the findings. With well over 100 preLighters who work in different fields, we hope to be able to cover a good number of conferences. For some first examples, take a look at the preLists from the BSCB/BSDB Meeting 2019, Biophysical Society Annual Meeting 2019, 1st Crick-Beddington Developmental Biology Symposium 2019 and the ASCB/EMBO Meeting 2018 at https://prelights.biologists.com/prelists.
