We recommend waiting until a paper has been accepted for publication before creating a record in Symplectic.
Create your Journal Article record in Symplectic only after your work has been accepted, and upload the accepted manuscript at that stage.
The same approach applies to all research outputs, including books, book chapters, and conference proceedings, which should be added to Symplectic only after reviews are complete.
Outputs not intended for peer review, such as preprints, may be added earlier using the appropriate output type.
Why we recommend waiting until acceptance
- Submitted papers often change significantly during peer review, including major revisions and, in some cases, a completely different title.
- Duplicate records are easily created. Authors sometimes forget they added a record at submission and create a new one after acceptance, resulting in multiple records for the same paper.
- Files get split across records. The accepted manuscript may be uploaded to a new record, while the original submitted version remains stored in the system, leading to avoidable duplication, increased storage usage, and an unsustainable use of digital resources.
- Not all submissions are accepted. Occasionally, a paper is rejected or withdrawn, leaving an incomplete or inaccurate record in Symplectic.
- Acceptance is the key point for open access. Depositing at acceptance allows us to apply the correct workflows, copyright checks, and compliance support.
Uploading preprints in Symplectic
Preprints are not the same as submitted journal articles, even if they may later become journal articles.
- If you have deposited your work in a preprint server, it can be added to Symplectic by selecting the ‘Preprint’ output type and marking it as ‘published’.
- When the paper is later accepted by a journal, the journal article should be added as a separate output.
- This is not a duplicate: preprints and journal articles are treated as different research output types, each with its own purpose and metadata.
For step-by-step instructions, see the Symplectic Guides.
Related FAQs:
What is the author accepted manuscript or AAM and what is the version of record or VOR?
I’m a PGR student and a member of staff. How should I log in to Symplectic?
