Potential submitters to engrXiv might be worried about whether submission of their manuscript will prevent them from later submitting to the journal of their choice. Fortunately, SHERPA/RoMEO is here to help you navigate each publisher’s policies regarding preprints, postprints, copyright, and self-archiving.

For preprints, SHERPA/RoMEO will help authors determine if the publisher allows authors to post a preprint and still be considered for publication.

For postprints, authors may determine if they are allowed to post a post-peerreviewed manuscript, either in final publisher’s format or not.

As always, authors should refer to publisher policies posted on a journal’s website and contact the editor if anything is unclear. Also, in some cases these policies are negotiable and it is the author’s responsibility to know their rights and advocate on their own behalf.

We are happy to announce the newly created eprint server for engineering, engrXiv! Through a partnership with the Center for Open Science, we are building a free, open access, open source archive for engineering research and design. The initiative responds to growing recognition of the need for faster, open sharing of research and design on a truly open access platform for all engineering disciplines. Papers on engrXiv will be permanently available and free to the public.

The field of engineering is at a bifurcation when it comes to publishing the methods, analyses, and results of research and design efforts. Engineers want to disseminate their results both for professional advancement and societal benefit, but many of the traditional publishing outlets can extend the time it takes for an engineering artifact to become public. engrXiv will enable engineers to rapidly disseminate their work to their colleagues and other stakeholders who will benefit from it. Free and open access to engineering knowledge has the power to enable faster development within the field and the ability to build capacity for change within communities for which it would be the most beneficial.

The partnership with the Open Science Framework lays the groundwork for a broader integration between engrXiv and the Open Science Framework that can provide access to not just engineering papers but also important engineering assets such as data, code, and design and computational models. It will also provide an environment for public peer review of these engineering assets. In short, the development and advancement of engrXiv will improve our ability to design and research, better connect us as engineers, and promote a greater sense of community around the dissemination of the ever-growing engineering body of knowledge.

The eprint server provides several important benefits to the engineering author:

• Fast, free uploading of academic papers and open access for all readers
• Free registration open to all, regardless of academic affiliation
• Permanent identifiers that link to the latest version of a paper (authors can provide links to versions published elsewhere)
• Full access and discoverability through Google Scholar and other research tools
• The option to use any Creative Commons license
• Comment and discussion on papers among registered users
• Grouping of papers together for conferences or working groups
• Analytics data on how often papers have been accessed
• Easy sharing on social media sites – without requiring readers to register

“It is of paramount importance to the advancement of society that the knowledge and works contained within the field of engineering be openly accessible,” said engrXiv Director Devin Berg, an associate professor and engineer at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, which serves as the archive’s institutional home, “Regardless of an engineer’s discipline, there are countless individuals and communities who could benefit from their work but lack academic or professional affiliation that would grant them access to the traditionally published scholarly output.”

“It is vital that not only papers but also outcomes like data, code, designs, and computational models, can be shared, peer-reviewed and cited using a single framework. The engrXiv aims to provide such a framework, allowing scientists and engineers to rapidly share and discus all types of engineering works. Sharing not just results, but also the tools, data, and methods that led to them will enhance collaboration and reproducibility in engineering research.” said Kevin Moerman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Papers on engrXiv may be linked to the full suite of services available free through the Open Science Framework. OSF supports project management and collaboration, connects services across the research and design lifecycle, and archives data, materials, and other engineering assets for private use or public sharing.

engrXiv is directed by a steering committee of engineers and members of the engineering librarian community. They are:

• Phoebe Ayers, librarian, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Lorena A. Barba, aerospace engineer, The George Washington University
• Devin R. Berg, mechanical engineer, University of Wisconsin-Stout
• Bryony Dupont, mechanical engineer, Oregon State University
• David Jensen, mechanical engineer, University of Arkansas
• Kevin Moerman, biomechanical engineer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Kyle Niemeyer, mechanical engineer, Oregon State University
• Douglas Van Bossuyt, mechanical engineer, Colorado School of Mines

engrXiv is currently operating in beta mode, visit engrXiv.org for more information and to get started posting your eprints. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

To make a tax-deductible contribution to engrXiv through the University of Wisconsin-Stout, visit: https://foundation.uwstout.edu/pages/givings/engrxiv

arXiv is a trademark of Cornell University, used under license. This license should not be understood to indicate endorsement of content on engrXiv by Cornell University or arXiv.