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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Nasal Brushing Sampling and Processing Using Digital High Speed Ciliary Videomicroscopy – Adaptation for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Nasal Brushing Sampling and Processing Using Digital High Speed Ciliary Videomicroscopy – Adaptation for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Published on: November 7, 2020

Tracking changes between preprint posting and journal publication during a pandemic.

Liam Brierley¹, Federico Nanni², Jessica K Polka³

¹Department of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.

|February 1, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Biomedical preprints, including those on COVID-19, are increasingly common. Most studies show minimal changes between preprint and publication, with few significant alterations to conclusions after peer review.

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Area of Science:

Biomedical Sciences
Scientific Communication
Preprint Research

Background:

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a surge in biomedical preprint usage.
This increased accessibility raises questions about the reliability of scientific information before formal peer review.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the extent of changes between preprints and their published journal versions.
To assess the impact of peer review on the conclusions of biomedical research, particularly concerning COVID-19.

Main Methods:

Analysis of preprints from bioRxiv and medRxiv posted before April 30, 2020.
Utilized automatic and manual annotations to compare preprint content with the final published version.
Quantified changes in figures, tables, and abstract conclusions.

Main Results:

The number of figure panels and tables remained largely consistent between preprint and published versions.
Discrete changes in abstract conclusions occurred in 7.2% of non-COVID-19 and 17.2% of COVID-19 preprints.
The majority of these conclusion changes did not qualitatively alter the study's main findings.

Conclusions:

Biomedical preprints generally undergo minor modifications before journal publication.
While some conclusions may be refined, most preprints accurately represent the final published research.
This suggests a reasonable level of reliability for preprints in the biomedical field, even during rapid scientific dissemination periods.