Indian scientists launch preprint repository to boost research quality

Researchers in India will soon have their own preprint repository where they can post manuscripts from any discipline. The founders of IndiaRxiv hope it will improve the quality of science in the country. The repository joins a growing number of preprint servers hosting research from a particular region, including Indonesia’s INA-Rxiv and Africa’s AfricArxiv. “The success of the Indonesian and African preprint repositories motivated us to create another one for the global south,” says Sridhar Gutam, a plant scientist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. Gutam founded the advocacy group Open Access India, which is leading the IndiaRxiv initiative. IndiaRxiv will be accepting submissions from the end of April. These can include original research, case studies, conference proceedings and data sets. The repository will host submissions in English and any Indian language. Gutam also hopes that the platform reduces researchers’ reliance on predatory journals. These publications promise swift publication, within a matter of days, but charge for publication, often without services such as peer-review or editing.