Step 2: Submit your paper

There are four ways to ensure that your paper is submitted to PubMed Central (PMC) in compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy:

Method A:  The journal publisher automatically posts the final published article in PubMed Central without author involvement.  (See NIH’s list of journals that automatically deposit all NIH-funded final published articles in PubMed Central).

Method B: The author makes an arrangement with the publisher (i.e., selects an option within the publishing agreement) to post the published article in PMC. This usually involves an open access fee paid by the author.  (See NIH's list of journals that submit for you upon request.)

Method C:  The author submits the final peer-reviewed manuscript to PMC via the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS).  (For more information about submitting manuscripts via NIHMS, including step-by-step instructions, see NIHMS FAQ from NIH).

Method D:  Journal publisher deposits the final peer-reviewed manuscript into NIHMS, and author completes the NIHMS submission process. (See NIH's list of publishers that have volunteered to deposit a NIH-funded final peer-reviewed manuscripts to the NIHMS.) 

Authors may use whichever method is most appropriate for their particular situation and consistent with their publishing agreement.

NOTE: Regardless of which method is used, the author -- not the publisher -- is responsible for ensuring that either the final peer-reviewed manuscript or the published article is posted appropriately in PubMed Central.

What is the difference between a "final peer-reviewed manuscript" and a "published article"?  Click here for more information.

See detailed information on NIH’s webpage for more information and step-by-step instructions for each submission method.
 

Continue to Step 3: Demonstrate Compliance