What are preLists?

preLists are curated lists of preprints covering one of two different themes: either preprints on a specific topic, or preprints which have been presented at a scientific meeting.

The preList initiative is complementary to that of preLights. One of the main aims of preLights is to help scientists navigate the ever-increasing abundance of preprint literature. But while preLights is continually updated with new posts, this represents only a fraction of the new studies posted on preprint repositories. preLists allow us to cover an even wider selection of interesting new work on a specific research area, be that cell migration, fibroblasts or even research focused around bats. We encourage preList curators to periodically update their preLists with relevant new preprints, meaning that subject-specific preLists are a great resource for staying on top of new research.

preLists also feature curated lists of preprints that were presented at conferences. Researchers often present non-peer reviewed work at conferences that has recently, or will soon be, posted as a preprint. By collating preprints presented at conferences into one place, preLists are a useful resource for attendees or those who were not able to make the meeting. Recent conference preLists have covered Development’s ‘From Stem Cells to Human Development’ meeting and the 66th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting.

You do not need to be a registered preLighter to be able to curate a preList. Any researcher who would like to make a new preList – either focusing on their topic-of-interest or of research presented at a meeting – is able to do so by registering on preLights and following the instructions detailed here.

We think that preLists are a great resource for staying informed about new work or locating the manuscript associated with a talk you found particularly fascinating at a conference. We encourage new preLights visitors to register as a preList contributor, and we look forward to seeing new preLists in the future.