Preprint Server Policy

The Geological Society of America (GSA) supports the open and transparent sharing of research and recognizes that preprint servers are a useful method for authors to share research and data that have not yet been peer-reviewed and formally published. Authors may post papers to preprint servers and cite preprints within papers following these guidelines:

Preprints may be posted to personal websites, institutional repositories, and preprint servers at any time. This is not considered prior or dual publication and will not preclude consideration of publication by GSA.
GSA encourages authors to choose open access preprint servers such as EarthArXiv, Earth and Space Science Open Archive (ESSOAr), or arXIV whenever possible, and follow the policies of that server. Any preprints must contain a statement that the manuscript has been submitted to [[publication title]] and has not yet been peer reviewed by the Geological Society of America.
Authors must retain copyright on their preprint unless it is in the public domain. If an author has signed away copyright or exclusive license to their work, GSA will not consider it for publication.
The final, published “Version of Record” of a GSA paper may not be published on a preprint server unless it is fully Open Access. Instead, after final publication of the version of record, authors should add the full reference citation and DOI link to the abstract of the final version published on www.gsapubs.org to the preprint.
Citations of preprints are allowed in submissions as long as it is made clear that the citation is to a preprint, non-peer reviewed version of the source cited. GSA does not consider manuscripts that have not been formally accepted as equivalent to scientific advances published in peer-reviewed literature and GSA Science Editors may choose to recommend removing such citations during the review process.
GSA discourages authors from soliciting media attention of manuscripts submitted to GSA publications prior to acceptance.