Q. What are preprints? Where can I find them?

Preprints are the draft version of a scientific paper before it has been officially published or peer reviewed. Searching preprint archives can often be the way of accessing the most up-to-date research as the paper does not need to await publication before it can be read.

Key preprint collections:

• arXiv provides access to preprints in the fields of physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, non-linear science and statistics
• CERN Document Server (CDS) contains preprint documents and additional bibliographic records in particle physics
• INSPIRE high energy physics literature database