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Submitting Preprints

This guide covers the preprint submission process in detail.

Before You Submit​

Ensure you have:

  • A PDF of your preprint (maximum 100 MB)
  • Required metadata: title, abstract, keywords
  • An AT Protocol account (e.g., Bluesky)
  • Co-author consent for multi-author submissions

Submission Workflow​

Step 1: Authentication​

Click "Sign In" and authenticate with your PDS. Chive uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication; your credentials are never stored on Chive servers.

Step 2: Start Submission​

Click "Submit Preprint" to open the submission form. The form has four sections.

Step 3: Basic Information​

FieldRequiredDescription
TitleYesFull title of your preprint
AbstractYesPlain text summary (recommended: 300 words)
KeywordsYesAt least one author-provided keyword
LicenseYesCreative Commons license (CC-BY recommended)

Step 4: Authors​

Add all authors with their affiliations:

  1. Click "Add Author"
  2. Enter name and affiliation
  3. Optionally link to ORCID
  4. Drag to reorder authors
  5. Mark corresponding author

Step 5: Upload Files​

PDF Upload

Drag and drop your PDF or click to select. The file uploads directly to your PDS. Chive stores only a reference (BlobRef) to the file.

Supplementary Materials (optional)

Add datasets, code, or additional figures. Each file has a 50 MB limit. Supported formats: PDF, ZIP, TAR.GZ.

Step 6: Classification​

Select fields from the knowledge graph:

  1. Type to search for fields
  2. Click to select (maximum five fields)
  3. Selected fields appear as tags
  4. Click X to remove a field

Step 7: Review and Submit​

Review all information on the summary page. Click "Submit" to create the preprint record in your PDS.

After Submission​

Your preprint is indexed within minutes. You receive a permanent URL to share with colleagues.

Editing Metadata​

You can update metadata at any time from your dashboard. Changes are reflected immediately.

Uploading New Versions​

Click "New Version" on your preprint page to upload a revision. Include a changelog describing the changes.

Withdrawing​

Click "Withdraw" to remove your preprint from Chive. The record remains in your PDS but is no longer indexed.

Multi-Author Submissions​

For preprints with multiple authors:

  1. One author (the submitter) creates the submission
  2. Co-authors are notified via email if addresses are provided
  3. Co-authors can claim their authorship through the claiming flow

Troubleshooting​

Upload fails

Check file size (maximum 100 MB) and format (PDF only for main manuscript).

Cannot find field

If your field is not in the knowledge graph, propose it via the governance system.

Indexing delayed

New submissions typically appear within five minutes. If your preprint is not visible after one hour, contact support.