Overview
The NIH Public Access Policy ensures that the public has access to the published results of NIH funded research. It requires scientists to submit final peer-reviewed journal manuscripts that arise from NIH funds to the digital archive PubMed Central upon acceptance for publication. To help advance science and improve human health, the Policy requires that these papers are accessible to the public on PubMed Central no later than 12 months after publication.
How to Comply
- Address Copyright: Ensure your publishing agreement allows the paper to be posted to PubMed Central in accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy.
- Submit Papers: Submit papers to PubMed Central
- Cite Papers: Include the PMCID at the end of the full citation
To what papers does the NIH Public Access Policy apply?
How to Comply
1. Address Copyright
Before you sign a publication agreement or similar copyright transfer agreement, make sure that the agreement allows the paper to be posted to PubMed Central (PMC) in accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy. Final, peer-reviewed manuscripts must be posted to the NIHMS upon acceptance for publication, and be made publicly available on PMC no later than 12 months after the official date of publication. See “Whose approval do I need to submit my final peer-reviewed manuscript to PubMed Central” for more information.
Points to consider.
- Which submission method will be used?
- What version of the paper will be made available on PMC?
- Who will submit the paper?
- When will it be submitted?
- Who will approve the submission?
- When will the paper be made public on PMC?
2. Submit Papers
Authors may submit a paper to the journal of their choice for publication. There are four methods to ensure that a manuscript is posted to PubMed Central in compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy. For more information see Submission Methods.
- Method A: Publish in one of the journals on this list that deposit all NIH-funded final published articles in PMC without author involvement, and in accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy.
- Method B: Make arrangements to have one of the publishers on this list deposit a specific final published article in PubMed Central.
- Method C: Log on to the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS), and deposit the final peer-reviewed manuscript in PMC yourself. Institutions and investigators are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are submitted upon acceptance for publication.
- Method D: Complete the submission process for a final peer-reviewed manuscript that the publisher has deposited in the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS). Institutions and investigators are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are submitted upon acceptance for publication.
3. Cite Papers
On all NIH applications, proposals and reports, include the PMC reference number (PMCID) at the end of the full citation of all papers that fall under the Public Access Policy and are authored by you or arise from your NIH award. For more information see Citation Methods.
Example:
Sala-Torra O, Gundacker HM, Stirewalt DL, Ladne PA, Pogosova-Agadjanyan EL, Slovak ML, Willman CL, Heimfeld S, Boldt DH, Radich JP. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression and outcome in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood. 2007 April 1; 109(7): 3080–3083. PMCID: PMC1852221
To what papers does the NIH Public Access Policy apply?
The Policy applies to any manuscript that:
- Is peer-reviewed;
- And, is accepted for publication in a journal on or after April 7, 2008;
- And, arises from:
- Any direct funding1 from an NIH grant or cooperative agreement active in Fiscal Year 2008 or beyond, or;
- Any direct funding from an NIH contract signed on or after April 7, 2008, or;
- Any direct funding from the NIH Intramural Program, or;
- An NIH employee
Authors may submit final peer-reviewed manuscripts accepted before April 7, 2008 that arise from NIH funds, if they have appropriate copyright permission.
1 "Directly" funded means costs that can be specifically identified with a particular project or activity. See NIH Grants Policy Statement, Rev. 12/2003. |
