NIH Public Access: Submission Process

There are 4 methods to ensure that an applicable paper is submitted to PubMed Central (PMC) in compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy. Authors may use whichever method is most appropriate for them and consistent with their publishing agreement.

Method A

The journal posts the final published version of the NIH-funded article to PubMed Central (PMC) without author involvement.

Method B

The author makes arrangement with the publisher to post the NIH-funded paper to PMC. This usually involves choosing the publisher's fee-based open access option.

Method C

The author or PI delegate deposits the final peer-reviewed manuscript in the NIH Manuscript Submission system (NIHMS). The author or PI is responsible for completing approval steps and ensuring that the final peer-reviewed manuscript is deposited in the NIHMS.

Method D

The publisher deposits the final peer-reviewed manuscript into the NIHMS. The author or awardee is responsible for completing approval steps and ensuring that the final peer-reviewed manuscript is deposited in the NIHMS.