bioRxiv: The Open Access Preprint Repository for Biological Sciences
In the fast-paced world of scientific discovery, the traditional timeline of academic publishing can often delay the sharing of critical data. bioRxiv (pronounced "bio-archive") addresses this gap as an open-access preprint repository specifically designed for the biological sciences. Launched in November 2013, it provides a platform where researchers can share their findings with the global community before they undergo formal peer review.
Founded by John Inglis and Richard Sever, bioRxiv was originally hosted by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). On March 11, 2025, ownership transitioned to openRxiv, a newly established non-profit organization dedicated to managing both bioRxiv and its sister site, medRxiv.
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Key Facts
- Founded: November 2013 by John Inglis and Richard Sever.
- Ownership: Currently managed by the non-profit openRxiv (formerly CSHL).
- Purpose: Provides open access to biological science preprints prior to peer review.
- Scale: Nearly 180,000 preprints accepted as of December 31, 2022.
- Success Rate: Approximately two-thirds of posted papers are eventually published in peer-reviewed journals.
- Impact: Served as a primary dissemination tool for COVID-19 research.
How bioRxiv Works
A preprint is a version of a scientific manuscript posted publicly before it has been peer-reviewed—the process where independent experts evaluate the work for accuracy and validity. While bioRxiv papers are not peer-reviewed, they are not posted without oversight. Every submission undergoes a basic scrutinization process that includes:
- Safeguarding checks to ensure ethical standards.
- Automated plagiarism screening.
- An assessment of appropriateness to ensure the content fits the repository's scope.
To foster transparency, the platform allows readers to post comments. Furthermore, since 2019, bioRxiv has enabled the posting of formal reviews alongside preprints, which may originate from journals or platforms like Review Commons.
History and Evolution
The concept for bioRxiv was inspired by arXiv, a repository for mathematics and physics launched in 1991 by Paul Ginsparg. Before bioRxiv, many biologists feared that posting research early would lead to being "scooped"—where competitors publish similar findings first, stealing the claim to discovery. However, geneticists using arXiv's "quantitative biology" section since 2003 proved that preprints actually protect researchers by establishing a public timestamp of their discovery.
The repository grew with support from CSHL, the Lourie Foundation, and a significant funding boost from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in April 2017.
Growth in Submissions
The adoption of bioRxiv has seen exponential growth over the last decade:
- Early Years: Hosted 824 preprints in its first year.
- Steady Rise: By February 2016, monthly submissions grew from roughly 60 to 200.
- Acceleration: 2017 saw 10,722 total submissions, with monthly rates exceeding 1,000 by July.
- Peak Volume: Submissions reached 20,000 in 2018, over 31,000 in 2019, and peaked at 40,223 in 2021.
Integration with Academic Journals
The rise of bioRxiv has forced a shift in traditional publishing. Many journals have updated their policies to ensure that posting a preprint does not violate the Ingelfinger rule, which historically prevented journals from publishing work that had appeared elsewhere.
To streamline the transition from preprint to publication, the bioRxiv to Journals (B2J) initiative was created. This allows authors to submit their manuscripts directly from bioRxiv to a participating journal's system. As of May 2020, 177 journals were part of this initiative.
Research indicates that the content of preprints rarely changes significantly after the formal peer-review process, although the automated linking between preprints and their final published versions is not always perfect.
Scope of Disciplines
bioRxiv accepts a wide array of biological research, including but not limited to:
| Category | Example Disciplines |
|---|---|
| Molecular & Cellular | Biochemistry, Cell biology, Genetics, Genomics, Molecular biology |
| Organismal & Environmental | Animal behavior, Ecology, Evolutionary biology, Plant biology, Zoology |
| Medical & Health | Cancer biology, Epidemiology, Immunology, Pathology, Pharmacology |
| Technical & Systems | Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Synthetic biology, Systems biology |
| Other | Neuroscience, Paleontology, Physiology, Scientific communication |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is research on bioRxiv peer-reviewed?
No, papers on bioRxiv are preprints and have not undergone formal peer review. However, they do pass a basic screening for plagiarism, safeguarding, and appropriateness before being posted.
Will posting a preprint prevent my paper from being published in a journal?
Generally, no. Most biology journals have updated their policies to clarify that preprints are not considered "prior publication," meaning they do not disqualify a paper from being accepted for formal publication.
What is the B2J initiative?
The bioRxiv to Journals (B2J) initiative is a system that allows authors to submit their manuscripts directly from the bioRxiv platform to the submission systems of participating journals.
How reliable is the information in bioRxiv preprints?
While not peer-reviewed, studies suggest that the content of preprints rarely changes substantially after they are eventually accepted and published in peer-reviewed journals. However, readers should exercise caution as the work has not yet been formally vetted by independent experts.
Who owns and operates bioRxiv now?
As of March 11, 2025, bioRxiv is owned and operated by openRxiv, a non-profit organization dedicated to the management of bioRxiv and medRxiv.