常见问题
为帮助用户快速解决在预印本提交、评级、传播、修改等过程中遇到的疑问，梳理以下高频常见问题及详细解答，若有未涵盖的疑问，可邮件联系novaxiv@163.com咨询。
一、投稿相关问题
1. 哪些类型的研究成果可以提交至本预印本平台？
本平台接受各类基础研究、应用研究、临床研究等领域的原创性预印本，包括但不限于学术论文、研究简报、数据分析报告等；需确保成果未被正式期刊、会议或其他出版平台发表（以预印本形式在其他合规平台存档除外），无剽窃、抄袭、重复发表等学术不端行为，且符合平台伦理规范。
2. 预印本提交需要准备哪些材料？
核心需准备：预印本全文（建议采用PDF格式，排版规范、内容完整）、作者信息表（含每位作者的姓名、单位、邮箱、贡献说明）、伦理声明（按平台模板填写，明确原创性、数据真实性、利益冲突等承诺）；若研究涉及人类受试者、动物实验，需额外提交相关伦理审查批准文件（如适用）；引用他人成果的，需确保引用规范并提供必要授权证明（如适用）。
3. 预印本提交后，平台会进行初步审核吗？审核周期多久？
提交后平台将进行初步形式审核，重点核查内容完整性、格式规范性、伦理声明齐全性，不涉及研究结论的科学性评审。审核周期一般为1-3个工作日，审核通过后将在平台上线存档；若审核未通过，平台将通过邮件告知具体修改意见，作者修改完善后可重新提交。
二、评级相关问题
1. 预印本评级是强制要求吗？如何申请评级？
评级非强制要求，作者可根据自身需求自愿申请。申请方式：预印本在平台上线后，作者登录个人账号，找到对应预印本，点击“评级申请”，按提示提交申请即可；申请提交后，评审团队将在5-7个工作日内完成综合评定，并出具评级结果及评审意见。
2. 预印本评级的标准是什么？评级结果有有效期吗？
评级围绕原创性、科学性、完整性、规范性四大核心维度综合评定（具体标准详见《预印本评级说明》），由相关领域科研专家、期刊编辑组成的评审团队统一打分。评级结果仅对当前版本预印本有效，若预印本进行实质性修改（如补充数据、优化研究方法），需重新申请评级，更新评级结果。
3. 对评级结果有异议，能申请二次评审吗？
可以。作者若对评级结果有异议，需在收到评级通知后3个工作日内，向平台提交二次评审申请，并提供补充说明、相关佐证材料（如数据补充说明、研究设计优化证明等），平台将组织另一组评审人员进行重新评定，二次评审结果为最终结果，不再接受异议申请。
三、版权与传播相关问题
1. 预印本在平台上线后，版权归谁所有？
预印本的版权始终归作者所有，平台仅获得非独占性传播、存档权利，不享有任何形式的版权转让。作者可自由选择后续向正式期刊投稿，或在其他合规平台传播，无需经过平台额外授权，但需如实告知相关期刊或平台该预印本的存档情况。
2. 他人引用、传播平台上的预印本，需要遵守什么要求？
他人引用、传播平台上的预印本，需严格遵守知识共享相关许可协议及版权法规定，注明预印本来源（平台名称、预印本标题、作者、上线日期、DOI链接），不得篡改、歪曲预印本内容；若用于商业用途，需提前获得作者书面授权；引用时需明确标注“预印本，未正式发表”，避免误导读者。
3. 预印本在平台上线后，还能修改或撤回吗？
可以修改或撤回，但需符合相关规范：① 修改：仅可进行少量格式调整、文字纠错，不可进行实质性内容修改（如数据补充、结论调整）；实质性修改需提交新版本预印本，标注版本号，原版本将保留存档，新版本与原版本关联展示。② 撤回：作者需提交书面撤回申请，说明撤回原因（如研究存在重大疏漏、数据需进一步验证等），平台审核通过后将标注该预印本“已撤回”，但原版本仍将保留存档，注明撤回日期及原因，供科研同行参考。
四、其他常见问题
1. 预印本上线后，会被正式期刊拒稿吗？
预印本上线不影响后续正式期刊投稿，多数期刊均接受已在预印本平台存档的稿件（具体需参考目标期刊的投稿政策）。但预印本仅为初步研究成果，正式期刊将进行独立的同行评审，评审重点为研究结论的科学性、创新性、严谨性，因此存在被正式期刊拒稿的可能，与预印本平台上线及评级结果无关。
2. 如何查询平台上的预印本？可以下载吗？
用户可通过平台首页的搜索功能（输入标题、作者、关键词、研究领域等）查询相关预印本，平台上所有预印本均支持免费浏览、下载，供科研同行参考、交流使用，但下载后需遵守版权相关规定，不得用于商业用途或擅自篡改内容。
3. 平台会对作者的个人信息及研究数据进行保密吗？
平台将严格保护作者的个人信息（如邮箱、单位、联系方式等）及研究数据，仅在作者授权或法律规定的范围内使用；未经作者书面同意，平台不会向任何第三方泄露作者个人信息及未公开的研究数据（预印本全文及已标注的公开信息除外），确保作者的合法权益不受侵害。
To help users quickly resolve questions encountered in the process of preprint submission, rating, dissemination, modification, etc., the following high-frequency common questions and detailed answers are sorted out. If you have any questions not covered, please contact Mason Publish Group via email for consultation.
I. Submission-related Questions
1. What types of research results can be submitted to this preprint platform?
This platform accepts original preprints in various fields such as basic research, applied research, and clinical research, including but not limited to academic papers, research briefs, and data analysis reports. It is necessary to ensure that the results have not been published in any formal journal, conference, or other publishing platform (except for archiving as a preprint on other compliant platforms), that there is no academic misconduct such as plagiarism, copying, or duplicate publication, and that they comply with the platform's ethical norms.
2. What materials need to be prepared for preprint submission?
Core materials to prepare: the full text of the preprint (PDF format is recommended, with standardized typesetting and complete content), author information form (including the name, affiliation, email address, and contribution description of each author), and ethics statement (filled in according to the platform template, clarifying commitments such as originality, data authenticity, and conflicts of interest). If the research involves human subjects or animal experiments, additional relevant ethical review approval documents need to be submitted (if applicable). For citations of others' achievements, it is necessary to ensure standardized citations and provide necessary authorization certificates (if applicable).
3. Will the platform conduct a preliminary review after the preprint is submitted? What is the review cycle?
After submission, the platform will conduct a preliminary formal review, focusing on verifying the completeness of content, standardization of format, and completeness of the ethics statement, without involving the scientific review of research conclusions. The review cycle is generally 1-3 working days. After passing the review, the preprint will be online and archived on the platform; if the review fails, the platform will inform the author of specific revision opinions via email, and the author can resubmit after revising and improving.
II. Rating-related Questions
1. Is preprint rating a mandatory requirement? How to apply for rating?
Rating is not a mandatory requirement; authors can voluntarily apply according to their own needs. Application method: After the preprint is online on the platform, the author logs in to their personal account, finds the corresponding preprint, clicks "Rating Application", and submits the application as prompted. After the application is submitted, the review team will complete the comprehensive evaluation within 5-7 working days and issue the rating result and review opinions.
2. What are the standards for preprint rating? Is there a validity period for the rating result?
Rating is comprehensively evaluated around four core dimensions: originality, scientificity, completeness, and standardization (see the "Instructions for Preprint Rating" for specific standards), and is uniformly scored by a review team composed of scientific research experts and journal editors in relevant fields. The rating result is only valid for the current version of the preprint. If substantial revisions are made to the preprint (such as supplementary data and optimized research methods), it is necessary to reapply for rating to update the rating result.
3. Can I apply for a re-review if I have objections to the rating result?
Yes. If the author has objections to the rating result, they need to submit a re-review application to the platform within 3 working days after receiving the rating notification, along with supplementary explanations and relevant supporting materials (such as data supplementary explanations, research design optimization certificates, etc.). The platform will organize another group of reviewers to conduct a re-evaluation. The re-review result is the final result, and no further objection applications will be accepted.
III. Copyright and Dissemination-related Questions
1. Who owns the copyright after the preprint is online on the platform?
The copyright of the preprint belongs to the authors at all times. The platform only obtains non-exclusive rights of dissemination and archiving, and does not enjoy any form of copyright transfer. Authors can freely choose to submit to formal journals or disseminate on other compliant platforms in the future, without the need for additional authorization from the platform, but they must truthfully inform the relevant journals or platforms of the archiving status of the preprint.
2. What requirements need to be followed when others cite or disseminate preprints on the platform?
When others cite or disseminate preprints on the platform, they must strictly comply with the relevant Creative Commons license agreements and copyright law regulations, indicate the source of the preprint (platform name, preprint title, authors, online date, DOI link), and must not tamper with or distort the content of the preprint. If used for commercial purposes, written authorization from the authors must be obtained in advance. When citing, it is necessary to clearly mark "Preprint, not formally published" to avoid misleading readers.
3. Can the preprint be modified or withdrawn after it is online on the platform?
Yes, it can be modified or withdrawn, but it must comply with relevant norms: ① Modification: Only minor format adjustments and text corrections are allowed; substantial content modifications (such as supplementary data and conclusion adjustments) are not permitted. For substantial modifications, a new version of the preprint needs to be submitted with a version number marked. The original version will be retained for archiving, and the new version will be displayed in association with the original version. ② Withdrawal: The author needs to submit a written withdrawal application, explaining the reason for withdrawal (such as major omissions in the research, further verification of data, etc.). After the platform approves the application, the preprint will be marked as "Withdrawn", but the original version will still be retained for archiving, with the withdrawal date and reason indicated for reference by scientific research peers.
IV. Other Common Questions
1. Will the preprint be rejected by formal journals after it is online?
The online publication of the preprint will not affect subsequent submissions to formal journals. Most journals accept manuscripts archived on preprint platforms (please refer to the submission policy of the target journal for details). However, the preprint is only a preliminary research result, and formal journals will conduct independent peer reviews, focusing on the scientificity, innovation, and rigor of the research conclusions. Therefore, there is a possibility of rejection by formal journals, which is irrelevant to the online publication and rating result of the preprint platform.
2. How to query preprints on the platform? Can they be downloaded?
Users can query relevant preprints through the search function on the platform's homepage (enter title, author, keyword, research field, etc.). All preprints on the platform support free browsing and downloading for reference and exchange by scientific research peers. However, after downloading, users must comply with relevant copyright regulations and must not use them for commercial purposes or tamper with the content without authorization.
3. Will the platform keep the authors' personal information and research data confidential?
The platform will strictly protect the authors' personal information (such as email address, affiliation, contact information, etc.) and research data, and only use them within the scope authorized by the authors or stipulated by law. Without the written consent of the authors, the platform will not disclose the authors' personal information and unpublished research data to any third party (except for the full text of the preprint and marked public information), ensuring that the legitimate rights and interests of the authors are not infringed.
