Beginning May 2, 2005, NIH-funded investigators are strongly encouraged to submit an electronic version of the author’s final manuscript completed with partial or full NIH funding, to PubMed Central (PMC) as a means for preserving research findings. NIH makes it clear that the policy is not a requirement, but a request. It is, however, important to note that by choosing to submit the final peer-reviewed manuscript to PMC, the researcher will be:
- Fulfilling grant progress reporting requirements by substituting deposit for submission of paper copies of articles;
- Supporting NIH in its effort to preserve and archive research findings;
- Ensuring that the article is available in PMC to be cross-indexed to other federally supported databases, such as GenBank; and,
- Heightening the visibility of the research and enhancing the likelihood of early and increased citation.
While the policy does not mandate how or where to publish research, NIH does encourage publication in journals that already deposit their articles in PMC, where they can be made freely available. If publishing in other journals, the manuscript of the article can be deposited in PMC with the stipulation that it be posted online immediately upon publication.
Below are directions on how to follow NIH’s request for depositing with PMC:
- Specify (if necessary) in the publisher’s copyright transfer agreement or comparable document that you retain the right to make the article available in PubMed Central. NIH suggests inserting the following language on the publisher’s form:
Journal acknowledges that Author retains the right to provide a copy of the final manuscript to NIH upon acceptance for Journal publication or thereafter, for public archiving in PubMed Central as soon as possible after publication by Journal.*
- Deposit in PMC the manuscript plus any supporting files and indicate the desired public release date. NIH will provide a secure website for depositing the manuscripts and information.
*To obtain broader use of the work, attach the SPARC Author’s Addendum to the publisher’s agreement. This will not only ensure the right to deposit the work in PMC, but also to use it in the classroom and to deposit it in another non-commercial repository.
For more information about the new NIH policy, visit these related web sites:
