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 submitted to the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS) upon acceptance for publication, and be made publicly available on PMC no later than 12 months after the official date of publication.

Points to consider while planning your NIH-supported paper:

• 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?

See “Whose approval do I need to submit my final peer-reviewed manuscript to PubMed Central” for more information.