In this month’s editorial, the PLOS Medicine Editors discuss the challenges of addressing a growing population with Alzheimer disease and dementia amidst disappointing news from the pharmaceutical industry.

Preprints catalyze rapid and open communication of research. A frequent criticism of preprints, however, is their lack of peer review. In recent years, myriad new initiatives have enabled review of preprinted research to be coordinated, collected, and displayed alongside preprints. This provides evaluation and context for readers, as well as feedback for the authors. The processes behind preprint review are diverse and may differ from journal peer review, which can be a challenge for readers seeking to compare and interpret the reviews. To address this, the ASAPbio organized a working group that set out to define key features of preprint review processes. Here, we describe Preprint Review Features (PReF) as descriptors and provide an implementation guide. PReF captures the key elements of preprint review processes using 8 standard key-value pairs. PReF can serve within the descriptions of individual preprint review processes, and act as search filters on indexing services. Widespread adoption of PReF will promote understanding and categorization of preprint review and improve its discoverability.

This article draws upon empirical research which explored how undergraduate and postgraduate social work students, at one university in England, experienced working alongside practice educators. In-depth interviews with eight participants enabled them to explore their placement experiences and in relation to assessment, social work students predominantly focused on the direct observations of their practice and written work. The findings suggest that students were less clear about the range of assessment methods employed and how stakeholders contribute towards formative and summative assessment. This article presents the Transparency of Assessment in Practice Education: the TAPE Model, which is designed to make the elements of assessment explicit. This model outlines six Ws which comprise the measurement of assessment. It is suitable to use with social work students, newly qualified social workers undertaking their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment, and can bring transparency to other assessment situations in the workplace or classroom. Abstract word count 149

The Social Work Degree Apprenticeship is the latest addition to an ever-growing proliferation of routes through the professional qualification. Mainly recruiting current social care employees, apprenticeships are broadly structured around a 'day release' model where work-based learning is highly valued and the academic content is compressed but supported through a variety of mechanisms in the workplace and university. This article reports on small-scale research on the characteristics and experiences of the very first cohort of these apprentices at a university in the North West of the UK, during the first two years of their studies. Data gathering overlapped with the move into a period of COVID-19 lockdown. Using a survey method, both qualitative and quantitative data are presented and contextually discussed under four key headings established through thematic analysis: advancement, the one-day apprentice, support and impact. The research reveals a highly qualified and experienced intake of apprentices who feel well supported and that positive impacts are being made on their practice. The article concludes with some observations on what needs to change to maximize the benefits of this qualifying route, whilst also reflecting on its attractiveness to employers in terms of cost and retention.

Doctoral research into competence for social work practice engaged with seventeen participants who drew upon their experiences of being practice educators and registered social work practitioners and the analysis of data suggested they identified a difference between competence to pass a final placement and capability for social work practice. Baseline social work knowledge, skills and values will enable a student to pass a final placement however, research data suggests that the individual's approach to learning, emotional intelligence and resilience give confidence that they are more likely to be able to cope in a social work role.Practice educators intuitively recognise these characteristics and this article argues that in addition to working with students, practice educators are ideally situated to support individuals throughout their post qualifying social work learning journey. Abstract word count 129