Open access medical journals (such as CHEST Critical Care and CHEST Pulmonary) also include expert peer review. When an author’s submission is accepted for publication, the author must pay an article processing charge. Any reader can access the published manuscript without a subscription or fee. Criticisms of this model include the length of time it takes for articles to be reviewed and published and the economic filter to publication that results from the article processing charge, which may disproportionately impact those with fewer resources (eg, early career researchers, researchers from lower-income countries).
Preprint server publications do not include any peer review prior to publication. Authors submit their manuscripts, which (after a few ethical checks) are available immediately to all readers (ie, open access). Authors are not required to pay an article processing charge. Many manuscripts published in preprint servers are also submitted to a subscription-based or open access medical journal. Preprint servers allow authors to publish their work quickly and receive feedback from the community of readers. Because the posted manuscripts are not peer reviewed, the veracity of the reported findings is not evaluated, which can result in readers being exposed to misinformation.
The choice of publishing model is based on the purpose of the journal or platform being used. Each has its place, its benefits over other models, and downsides to consider.
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Financial/Nonfinancial Disclosures
None declared.
Affiliations & Notes
Integrated Hospital Care Institute, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
Article Info
Publication history: Published online May 28, 2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2025.05.027
Copyright: © 2025 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.