Q: Should I submit or make the data public first?

Thank you for your question! Assuming that by “making public” your mean uploading your data on a repository, here are some details that may assist you in making this decision. We have concluded our response with journal-specific details.

• As long as a preprint repository is citable and dated, and can be digitally identified with a DOI, it will allow you to claim priority over your findings in case another study reveals similar findings before your manuscript is published.
• Some authors are skeptical about plagiarism resulting from preprints, but given the above, as long as the preprint is posted on a credible repository, preprints may in fact help prevent plagiarism, because authors referring to them will be required to cite the preprint (if your manuscript hasn’t been published yet).
• Preprints – as long as they receive attention – have been shown to result in an increase in citations and the impact of a paper once published (and the paper is cited more quickly than it would’ve been otherwise).
• As preprints are accessible to a larger audience before peer review, you may be able to receive feedback and rectify errors before receiving this feedback from peer reviewers, therefore avoiding negative journal feedback (or rejection).
• Preprinting helps you network with those interested in your field just as a conference would. It can also enable quicker application of your data if stakeholders such as policymakers view merit in its application. Once again, this is subjected to the attention/views the preprint garners.
• In the unlikely event that your paper isn’t published in a journal (for example, if the data do not present a novel finding), a preprint will at least serve as a record of the work you have accomplished.
• Preprints do not incur article processing charges.
• It may help with grant and other applications, as there is proof for potential funders/employers about your academic activity during a certain period of time (even before your paper is published).
• Your work is accessible when it is still relevant (lest the data loses a part of its relevance by the time your manuscript is published).
• Many (although not all) journals are beginning to accept manuscripts that have been preprinted, albeit with certain conditions.
• If there are inaccuracies in preprints, it’ll affect the reproducibility of your research.
• Preprints that do not undergo basic quality checks (i.e. preprints published independently instead of on dedicated repositories, which are generally moderated) may not be taken seriously.
• The data is not yet peer-reviewed. While you will be receiving feedback from a larger group, whether they are equipped to review your paper and share their feedback with you (and whether you should incorporate their feedback) remains an open question.
• If you’re seeking feedback from a larger group of people, there is a risk (just as it is prevalent on any other social media platform) of condescending commentary.
• Some journals are skeptical about accepting preprint manuscripts (and others may even refuse to accept it). Journals relying on plagiarism checks may immediately reject the manuscript without taking into account the fact that the manuscript’s content is similar to its own preprint. Journals that emphasize novelty share similar views (against preprints).
• It doesn’t carry the same weightage as publication in a prestigious journal. While this is not a disadvantage of preprinting in itself, it is a limitation of the practice.
• Even if you’re able to detect inaccuracies at a later stage in preprints, retraction is complicated, and usually they are only withdrawn from repositories: they are still accessible to the public but are accompanied by a withdrawal note.

Specific to your target journal (Earth System Science Data):

• It is not clear from the website of Earth System Science Data whether they accept manuscripts that have been preprinted in external repositories; they have their own preprint repository, which you may use instead.
• However, if for any reason, your paper is not accepted for publication in the journal, the preprint will remain in their database. Retracting this is not an option.
• Under special circumstances, depending on whether the editor/publisher permit a withdrawal, the preprint will still remain in the journal’s database, but it will be accompanied by a withdrawal note to notify readers. Editage can help you correspond with the journal to seek permission at this stage. Under our Journal Correspondence service, we can write to the journal on your behalf, although we may not be able to guarantee that the editor/publisher will permit a withdrawal.
• The journal can also be approached again with a request to review the paper once more and reconsider it for publication.
• However, if the preprint cannot be withdrawn and the editors/reviewers refuse to reconsider the paper for publication, submission to alternative target journals may be complicated, depending on their preprint policy (for example, if they do not accept preprints/accept preprints published only in certain databases, which may not include Earth System Science Data).

Hope that helps you make an informed decision. All the best for your study!