Preprints posted on Research Square receive a DOI, making them a citable part of the scientific record. They are widely indexed by services such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, EuropePMC, and Crossref, creating a permanent digital presence. Once preprints receive a DOI, we cannot remove them from the platform.
In most cases, there is no need to withdraw or remove your preprint from the platform. Posting a preprint is becoming commonplace, and most publishers support the practice. Authors should have no issues submitting the preprinted paper elsewhere. Additionally, Research Square allows authors to post a new version of their preprint to show the evolution of the author’s work and correct any issues or errors that may have been found in earlier versions.
In rare circumstances, we may choose to withdraw a preprint due to issues that cannot be addressed by submitting a revised version of the preprint. These rare circumstances typically include cases of plagiarism, ethical authorization concerns, or cases where the content of the preprint could cause human harm to readers.
When a preprint is withdrawn, a notification explaining the reason for withdrawal is placed on the preprint as a new version. It does not replace or remove the original version The original version(s) of the preprint will still be accessible via the Version history listing and the DOI will remain active.
Readers may still be able to search for your preprint on the internet but will be directed to the withdrawal notice version which clearly states why the preprint has been withdrawn. Additionally, since the original version is still available, the preprint will still be detected during similarity checks.