Preprints in scholarly communication of High Energy Physics: analysis of submissions to the arXiv repository (2010-2015)

ABSTRACT

The preprint circulation in High Energy Physics (HEP) goes back over half a century, with the main objective of accelerating the process of scholarly communication among peers and encourage free access to specialized literature. This paper analyzes a subset of preprints submitted to different HEP categories of the arXiv subject repository from 2010 to 2015 which were subsequently published in peer review journals. Bibliometric indicators show the potential of preprints as a forerunner channel for the diffusion of scientific output since 70% of submissions were then absorbed by leading HEP journals. It concludes that the success of the Open Access initiative arXiv and INSPIRE-HEP has improved the exchange of information and knowledge among researchers. The model proposed by HEP can encourage scientists of areas with similar characteristics to setup repositories and preprint databases to their disciplines in order to strengthen the communication of scientific discoveries.

Keywords:
Scientific communication; Preprints; Open Access; High Energy Physics