IT IS A testament to the machinery of science that so much has been learned about covid-19 so rapidly. Since January the number of publications has been doubling every 14 days, reaching 1,363 in the past week alone. They have covered everything from the genetics of the virus that causes the disease to computer models of its spread and the scope for vaccines and treatments.
What explains the speed? Much as in other areas of life, covid-19 has burnt away encrusted traditions. Scientific journals have done their best to assess and publish research in days rather than their customary months or years. But a bigger factor behind the breakneck pace of publication is the willingness of biomedical scientists to bypass journals altogether and share their work quickly in the form of preprints—research manuscripts that are posted freely online and which have not been peer-reviewed.
Preprints are not a new idea. They have been an important method of communication in physical sciences and mathematics for decades. Biologists and medical scientists, however, have long resisted them. Unlike number theory or astrophysics, biologists have argued, their findings often directly affect individuals and companies (see Science article). Incomplete or unchecked studies could do them harm.
Arguments against preprints sound reasonable. Unless you are an expert in the field, it is hard to know whether a preprinted study is any good. Without peer-review before posting, the risk of shoddy science may well rise. The research contained in freely available preprints could be misinterpreted or abused by those hunting for scientific cover for their actions.
As the deluge of work on covid-19 has shown, fast, free-flowing scientific information is vital for progress. The virus has changed the way scientists do their work and talk to each other, we hope for good.■
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline "High-speed science"
