Long before COVID-19, academics squabbled about the methodology, clinical sample sizes, and data manipulation of published scientific papers—especially if they did not agree with conclusions or were educational rivals.
Since the medical journal publication process—especially peer review are so slow—the latter taking longer than a year at some journals—many researchers have turned to preprint servers. Intended to allow scientific studies to achieve dissemination before long waits for publication, the oldest preprint server began 30 years ago and now there are scores of them. Preprint servers can also be seen as part of the “open access” movement in which scientific findings are available to all and not hidden behind a paywall.
