arxivlash

Arxivlash is a term used in informal online discourse to describe a pattern of activity on the arXiv preprint repository in which researchers publish multiple preprints or rapid successive revisions around a given topic in a short period. The term blends arXiv with a notion of a forceful push into the scholarly feed and is not an official category or policy of arXiv.

Origin and usage of the term are informal and vary by community. It has appeared in blogs, forums, and social media discussions as a pejorative way to critique perceived attempts to dominate attention or outpace rivals rather than to advance careful, reproducible science. Because it is not standardized, definitions of arxivlash differ, and its exact boundaries are debated among researchers and commentators.

Practice and implications. Common patterns associated with arxivlash include clusters of submissions by the same authors within days, rapid revisions to related preprints, or a focus on speed and novelty. Critics argue that such behavior can contribute to information overload, make it harder for readers to assess quality, and complicate literature searches. arXiv’s versioning system—where multiple revisions are recorded—can amplify the effect by making it difficult to identify the most current or authoritative version without careful examination.

Reception and norms. Opinions on arxivlash are mixed. Some see it as a legitimate strategy for rapid dissemination in fast-moving fields, while others view it as gaming the attention economy. In general, the broader academic community emphasizes clear, transparent submissions and ethical communication of results.