Preprint & Self-Archiving Policy
Preprint & Self-Archiving Policy
Posting a preprint does not disqualify your paper here, and you may archive the published version anywhere you like — because you keep the copyright. This page states exactly what you may deposit, where, and when.
Last reviewed August 2026 · Applies to all submissions to JMVRA (ISSN 2984-8911)
Some journals treat a preprint as prior publication and reject the paper. This one does not. Sharing early work is how a field moves, and JMVRA considers a preprint to be a draft made public, not a published article. What we ask is that you declare it at submission so reviewers are not surprised by a similarity match against your own manuscript.
The Three Versions
| Version | What It Is | You May Post |
|---|---|---|
| Preprint | Your manuscript before peer review. | Any time, anywhere, before or during review. |
| Accepted manuscript | Your text after peer-review revisions, before journal typesetting. | Immediately on acceptance, anywhere. |
| Version of record | The final typeset PDF as published. | Immediately on publication, anywhere, with attribution. |
Where You May Deposit
Preprint Servers
arXiv, SSRN, bioRxiv, medRxiv, ChemRxiv, Research Square, OSF Preprints and similar.
Institutional Repository
Your university archive. Many funders and institutions require this deposit.
Personal Website
Your own or your research group’s pages.
Academic Networks
ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Mendeley and similar profiles.
Theses
Your paper may form a chapter of your thesis, with the publication cited.
Funder Repositories
Any repository a funding body requires you to deposit in.
Conditions
- Declare the preprint at submission. Give the server, the DOI or URL and the posting date in your cover note. This is the only condition that affects whether your paper is considered.
- Cite the published version on the preprint once the paper appears, with its DOI, so readers who find the preprint reach the reviewed article.
- Attribute the journal when posting the published version: journal name, ISSN, volume, issue, pages, year and DOI.
- Keep the licence with the file. The Creative Commons terms travel with the work wherever it is deposited.
- Do not post to another journal. Depositing in a repository is archiving; submitting the same work to a second journal while it is under review here is duplicate submission, covered by the Research Misconduct Policy.
Common Questions
Will a preprint hurt my similarity score?
The screening will match your own preprint. That is expected. Declaring it at submission means the editor recognises the match immediately instead of treating it as an unexplained overlap.
Does a preprint count as prior publication?
Not here. A preprint has not been peer reviewed and is not a publication of record, so it does not prejudice consideration of your manuscript.
Can I update the preprint after review?
Yes. Posting the revised, accepted version is encouraged — it means readers of the preprint see the corrected science.
What if my paper is rejected?
Nothing changes. The preprint stays where it is and you are free to submit to another journal.
Where the Preprint & Self-Archiving Policy Applies
The stages of a paper’s journey this policy governs are highlighted.
Applies at: Prepare · Submit · Publish · After
Preprint & Self-Archiving Policy in Brief
Posting a preprint before submission does not disqualify a paper from JMVRA. Because authors keep the copyright, they may deposit the preprint, the accepted manuscript and the published version in any repository, immediately.
The only request is that the deposited copy links to the published article once it appears, so readers find the final, peer-reviewed version.
