NIH provides an overview of the updated methods for submitting an Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) to PubMed Central (PMC), see this Overview of Submission Methods.
Consult this PMC information on submitting papers for steps and tips for authors. In brief, the steps are:
Step 1: Check the Journal List to determine ifthe journal/publisher deposits the final published article directly to PMC. Check that the journal's embargo period is set to zero (0 months) such that the journal allows the article to be made publicly available in PMC upon the Official Date of Publication, without embargo.
Note: If the journal list indicates your journal has a default embargo, you need to either make special arrangements with the journal or publisher to have the final published article deposited without embargo or proceed to Step 3.
Step 2: Review the Selective Deposit Programs
The author can choose to arrange with the journal for the deposit of a specific article; this usually involves choosing the journal's fee-based open access option for publishing that article. Please contact the respective journal or publisher directly for details.
Step 3: Deposit the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM)
If neither of the 2 deposit options above applies or if the selected journal allows you to submit your AAM with no embargo for no/lower fee, you may deposit your author-accepted manuscript (AAM) to NIHMS.
Note: Start your deposit at the time of acceptance for publication. This ensures you have the files readily accessible and allows for manuscript processing times, which may take up to 4 weeks during periods of high-volume submissions.
Some journals automatically deposit all NIH-funded final published articles in PubMed Central to be made publicly available without any author involvement.
With the 2024 Policy requirement that AAMs become publicly available without an embargo period (zero embargo), the list of PMC journals may change. Be sure to confirm how your selected journal supports compliance with the updated NIH Public Access Policy.
Note: It is still the responsibility of the author to notify the journal that the article is NIH funded (so they know to submit it to PMC) and to ensure and verify compliance with the policy.
If your selected journal does not participate in automatic submission to PMC, you can make arrangements to have the publisher deposit a specific final published article in PubMed Central. Some publishers will deposit an individual final published article in PubMed Central upon author request, and generally for a fee. You should discuss this with the publisher before acceptance of your article for publication and the signing of any author agreements.
Note: It is still the responsibility of the author to ensure and verify compliance with the policy.
Submitting a final peer-reviewed manuscript to PubMed Central (PMC) via the NIHMS involves three tasks, as explained below. Task 1 may be done by an author or by someone in the author’s organization (e.g., a research administrator or assistant). Tasks 2 and 3 must be done by the author.
DEADLINE: The 2024 NIH Policy eliminates the embargo period; therefore, NIHMS tasks will need to be completed BEFORE the Official Date of Publication. Pending further information from NIH/NIHMS, allow 4-6 weeks to allow time for NIHMS processing of your AAM.
See the 'NIHMS System' page in this guide for more information on using the NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) system.
Task 1: Deposit Manuscript Files and Link to NIH Funding
Upload a copy of the accepted final peer-reviewed manuscript and associated files (e.g., Microsoft Word document and figures) via the NIHMS. At the same time, identify the NIH funding associated with the manuscript. It usually takes less than 10 minutes to complete this task.
Task 2: Authorize NIH to Process the Manuscript
The author designates the number of months after publication when the manuscript may be made publicly available in PMC (also known as the embargo period). The author then confirms, via the NIHMS, a statement that the deposit of the manuscript is consistent with any publication and copyright agreements, and that NIH may begin processing the manuscript for use in PMC.
Task 3: Approve the PMC-formatted Manuscript for Public Display
The NIHMS will convert the deposited files into a standard PMC format, and email the author to approve the PMC-formatted manuscript for public display. The author then reviews and approves the PMC-formatted manuscript via the NIHMS. Corrections to the manuscript, if necessary, may be requested at this time.
Following completion of Task 3:
The NIHMS will email the author and all PIs the citation with the PMCID once it is assigned; PMC will automatically make the paper publicly available after the designated delay period has expired.
For a video of this process, see one or both of these:
In a variation of the author deposit to NIHMS, some publishers deposit the manuscript files in the NIHMS, and provide contact information for a corresponding author for completion on deposit into PMC.
Note on Timing: Though a publisher may make the initial deposit of files under this method, NIH awardees are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are submitted to the NIHMS upon acceptance for publication and that all NIHMS tasks are completed BEFORE the official date of publication. Pending further details from NIH/NIHMS, allow 4-6 weeks to allow time for NIHMS processing of your AAM.
The NIHMS will notify the author when the manuscript files are received from the publisher. At that point, the author must complete tasks 2 and 3 as outlined for the author manuscript deposit via NIHMS.
Following completion of Task 3:
The NIHMS will email the author and all PIs the citation with the PMCID once it is assigned; PMC will automatically make the paper publicly available upon the date of publication. Note: The embargo period/delay is eliminated in the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy.
For a tutorial demonstrating author tasks on the NIHMS, see NIHMS Tutorial: Reviewer’s Final Approval
Most of the information on this page was taken from the National Institutes of Health Public Access Policy webpage: https://sharing.nih.gov/public-access-policy/submitting-to-pubmed-central
