Preprints: Background and Current Trends

The paper analyzes various viewpoints on applicability of preprints used to exchange data on the following: how a non-peer-reviewed paper affects the way preprints are perceived in various sciences, how the academic community tackles the issue of evaluating preprints, how publishers treat preprints, how external factors affect the development of preprints, and who is responsible for the quality of preprints. The timeline has been identified for the development of preprints between 1940s and 2020. The development of preprints has been analyzed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data has been provided on current platforms and tools that can be used to work with preprints and to evaluate them.