A recent editorial in Nature (doi:10.1038/4571058a) provides guidance for authors who are concerned about breaking press embargoes by posting preprints:

“At the same time, however, our cardinal rule has always been to promote scientific communication. We have therefore never sought to prevent scientists from presenting their work at conferences, or from depositing first drafts of submitted papers on preprint servers. So if Nature journalists or those from any other publication should hear results presented at a meeting, or find them on a preprint server, the findings are fair game for coverage — even if that coverage is ahead of the paper’s publication. This is not considered a breaking of Nature’s embargo. Nor is it a violation if scientists respond to journalists’ queries in ensuring that the facts are correct — so long as they don’t actively promote media coverage.”

The Nature editorial provides additional clarification of the guidelines for authors, which already states:

“Nature journals do not wish to hinder communication between scientists. For that reason, different embargo guidelines apply to work that has been discussed at a conference or displayed on a preprint server and picked up by the media as a result. (Neither conference presentations nor posting on recognized preprint servers constitute prior publication.)”

This clarification regarding preprints is great news for both science journalists and authors. Researchers interested in soliciting feedback from their peers via a preprint server (like Nature Precedings) do not need to fear that they may be compromising publication at an NPG journal due to the journal’s press embargo.

Additional questions about NPG’s policy can be addressed to the NPG press office at press [at] nature [dot] com.