Updating funder information on preprints

For the past year, bioRxiv and medRxiv authors have been able to include funder information with their preprints. This can be entered in a dedicated field during the submission process, using Research Organization Registry (ROR) IDs, which are persistent identifiers for research organizations. We are now rolling out a new feature that enables authors to add funder information after a preprint is already online.

Funders are keen to track outputs of research they support and they encourage, or in some cases require, authors to include funding information in preprints. Occasionally this is omitted (for example, for complex, multi-lab projects where all funding sources may not be known to the submitting author at the time of submission.). This issue is not unique to preprints; funding information is often added or corrected late in the journal publication process as well. Meanwhile, compliance monitoring at many funding agencies has shown that funder information in articles is occasionally incomplete.

The new bioRxiv feature allows authors to add missing funder information or update funder metadata and ensure they are compliant with any funder mandates by adding missing funding information to preprints they have already posted on bioRxiv and medRxiv without creating a new version of the article.

To add new funder information to a preprint, simply access your Author Area in the bioRxiv or medRxiv submission system, click on “Add funder information to previously posted preprints” (on the right-hand side of the page), select the relevant preprint, click “Add another funder”, and then enter the funder details with any associated grant numbers. After submitting a request, you should see the new funder information appear alongside the preprint online, typically within 72 hours. Note that while a request to update funder information is still in process, further funder updates cannot be made to that particular preprint.