Preprint policy at Cambridge University Press

A ‘preprint’ is an early version of a manuscript, created prior to the version accepted for publication.

Our editorial guidelines require that manuscripts submitted to Cambridge University Press not be previously published, or be under simultaneous review for publication, in part or in whole within an academic journal, book or similar entity. However, deposition of a preprint anywhere else shall not be viewed as prior publication.

Upon acceptance of a manuscript for publication the author must agree to the terms of the relevant publishing agreement. After the final version of the work is published, the preprint can still be shared and used under its original licence terms.

It is best practice to link preprints and the final published work (the ‘Version of Record’). If appropriate, we encourage authors to include details of preprint posting, including DOI or other persistent identifier, when submitting their manuscript. Authors are also encouraged to ensure that the preprint record is later updated with a DOI and a URL link to the Version of Record, if their manuscript is accepted and published by Cambridge University Press.

For further information, please see our Green Open Access policies for journals, books, and Elements, or contact openresearch@cambridge.org.