Preprints—an early version of an academic article that has been made available by the author for others to read for free online before it has been peer reviewed or published by an academic journal—have long been part of the Open Access landscape. Many authors are now turning to preprint repositories (online databases developed for posting manuscripts prior to publication) to get their work out to peers quickly and get feedback that may help improve an article before the formal journal peer review process.

This Drexel University Libraries webinar will explore the advantages and disadvantages of preprints and how they are influencing scholarship and shaping the future of Open Access. This session, co-sponsored by IEEE, will cover a basic overview of preprints and preprint services and will include presentations from a current Drexel PhD student and the Director of Editorial Services for IEEE. Jay Bhatt, Engineering Librarian, will moderate the discussion.  

The session will cover:  

• Tips for using preprints in your research
• The benefits of challenges of using and posting preprints  
• A discussion about the role of preprints in Open Access
• An overview of the IEEE TechRxiv (pronounced "tech archive") preprint server
• Live Q/A with presenters  

About Open Access Week

Open Access (OA) Week is an annual, international event promoting open access to research. Launched in 2007, OA Week is an opportunity for the academic and research community to continue to learn about the potential benefits of Open Access, to share what they’ve learned with colleagues, and to help inspire wider participation in helping to make Open Access a new norm in scholarship and research

About the Presenters

Jay Bhatt is the Librarian for Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at Drexel University Libraries. He is responsible for building library collections in biomedical engineering and engineering subject areas, in outreach, and in teaching information and research skills to faculty, researchers, and students. He provides individual and small group consultations, research support to faculty and students, and conducts instructional sessions for different classes as requested by faculty members. He is passionate about participating in conversations and raising awareness about Academic and Research Integrity, Open Access, Open Data, and Open Educational Resources in Engineering, in faculty and students.
 

Kevin Lisankie is an STM publishing leader who has been Director of Editorial Services for IEEE since 2015. He directs IEEE staff teams that support the entire publishing process, including article peer review and submission; author engagement and tools; TechRxiv; publications quality assurance; editorial help desk; and journals, magazines, and conference production. He is also a Senior Contributing Editor, Engineering, for commarch.com and Commercial Architecture Magazine, and has consulted for multiple publishing companies during his career. Kevin is a graduate of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

Vignesh Perumal is a PhD candidate in the Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics Department, Drexel University. He completed his Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from University of Mumbai, India, and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Drexel University. His professional experience is in the domain of mechanical design for the automotive sector and new product development of special purpose machines from concept to prototyping and manufacturing.

He was selected as a Manufacturing Fellow in 2020 as part of the Manufacturing PA Innovation program. He was also one of the Undergraduate Engineering Teaching Fellows of the College of Engineering in Drexel University from 2019 to 2021. Now, he is continuing his research experience at Drexel, focusing on Advanced Manufacturing (AM) by using simulation techniques to understand and improve AM processes to create reliable, performance-driven products compared to traditional manufacturing techniques.