  The dissemination and reach of scientific knowledge have increased at a
blistering pace. In this context, e-Print servers have played a central role by
providing scientists with a rapid and open mechanism for disseminating research
without waiting for the (lengthy) peer review process. While helping the
scientific community in several ways, e-Print servers also provide scientific
communicators and the general public with access to a wealth of knowledge
without paying hefty subscription fees. This motivates us to study how e-Prints
are positioned within Web community discussions.
  In this paper, we analyze data from two Web communities: 14 years of Reddit
data and over 4 from 4chan's Politically Incorrect board. Our findings
highlight the presence of e-Prints in both science-enthusiast and
general-audience communities. Real-world events and distinct factors influence
the e-Prints people's discussions; e.g., there was a surge of COVID-19-related
research publications during the early months of the outbreak and increased
references to e-Prints in online discussions. Text in e-Prints and in online
discussions referencing them has a low similarity, suggesting that the latter
are not exclusively talking about the findings in the former. Further, our
analysis of a sample of threads highlights: 1) misinterpretation and
generalization of research findings, 2) early research findings being amplified
as a source for future predictions, and 3) questioning findings from a
pseudoscientific e-Print. Overall, our work emphasizes the need to quickly and
effectively validate non-peer-reviewed e-Prints that get substantial
press/social media coverage to help mitigate wrongful interpretations of
scientific outputs.
