Preprint Policy

ProData supports the use of preprints to promote early sharing and transparency in research. Authors are welcome to post their manuscripts on preprint servers prior to and during submission to the journal.

Acceptable Preprint Platforms

Authors may deposit their manuscripts on any reputable, non-commercial preprint server, such as:

• arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, SocArXiv, PsyArXiv, ChemRxiv, OSF Preprints, and others relevant to their discipline.

We accept submissions that have been posted as preprints under a Creative Commons license or other standard open-access licenses.

Preprint Posting Timeline

Manuscripts may be posted as preprints:

• Before submission to ProData
• During the peer review process
• After peer review (if revisions are being made and updates are disclosed)

Authors should indicate in their cover letter whether the submission has been posted as a preprint and provide the DOI or direct link to the preprint.

Citation and Disclosure

• Authors are encouraged to cite the preprint version of their manuscript in the submitted paper.
• In the Acknowledgments or Methods section, authors should include a statement such as: “A version of this manuscript was previously posted as a preprint on [server name] ([DOI or link]).”

Licensing and Authorship

Preprints must:

• Be authored by at least one of the submitting authors. .
• Not have been altered in a way that misrepresents the original content.
• Be available under terms that allow reuse (e.g., CC BY or similar).

Posting a preprint does not affect editorial decisions, and submissions are judged solelyon scientific and ethical merit.