There are two paths for a researcher to disseminate his/her results: post the manuscript on a Preprint server or submit it to a Journal.
If we take a look at the stakeholders involved in the two paths, we may understand the differences between the Preprint path and the Journal path.
The Preprint path springs from the researcher community, so it is self-regulating; main stakeholders are the Researchers, the Librarians and some tech IT staff.
The Journal path arises inside a “Learned Society”; main stakeholders are the Society itself, the Authors, the Reviewers, the Publisher.
While the Preprint path is a sort of Author’s self-publishing, the Journal path promises (and offers) quality and some level of standards. The role of the Society (through the peer review) and the Publisher is to define the quality standards of the Journal and guarantee its sustainability over time. All this has a cost, different from the Preprint path: someone must pay the bill.
The research community should decide if switching from the Journal to the Preprint path, or could introduce a mix of them or a new one; nevertheless, it’s all about quality (and money)!
