Students’ Perceptions of Preprints Discovered in Google: A Window into Recognition And Evaluation

Preprints play an important role in scholarly conversation. This paper examines perceptions of preprints through the lens students using a simulated Google environment. Data were collected from 116 high school, community college, undergraduate, and graduate with attention toward helpfulness, credibility, identification preprints. Findings show preprint peer-reviewed cues little to no judging helpfulness or citability, but peer-review does when credibility. Further, most did not recognize these resources as Implications recommendations are discussed surrounding awareness use openly available sources scientific information.