URL:  http://library.medicine.iu.edu/nih 

• What is the NIH Public Access Policy?
• Does it apply to my research publications?
• Who is responsible for meeting this requirement?
• How do I comply with the policy?
• Where can I find more information?

 What is the NIH Public Access Policy?

The National Institutes of Health has issued a revised Public Access Policy to ensure compliance with Public Law 110-161.  Under the revised policy, any peer-reviewed journal articles arising in whole or part from direct costs paid by the NIH or NIH staff must be submitted in electronic format to the National Library of Medicine's digital archive PubMed Central and made available within twelve months of publication.

 Does it apply to my research publications?  Click here for a chart.

The Policy applies to you if your peer-reviewed article is based on work in one or more of the following categories: 

1. Directly¹ funded by an NIH grant or cooperative agreement active in Fiscal Year 2008 (October 1, 2007- September 30, 2008) or beyond;
2. Directly¹ funded by a contract signed on or after April 7, 2008;
3. Directly funded by the NIH Intramural Program.
4. If NIH pays your salary.  

It does not apply to non-peer-reviewed materials such as correspondence, book chapters, and editorials. 

Who is responsible for meeting this requirement?

The Principal Investigator is held ultimately responsible by the NIH for meeting this requirement.  A third party may submit the manuscript on the PI's behalf, with the PI approving the final submission. 

How do I comply with the NIH Public Access Policy?

Compliance with the policy involves tasks at three specific stages:

• Before you publish
• When your article is accepted for publication, and
• When you prepare NIH applications, proposals or progress reports  

Download a step-by-step checklist for each of the three stages PDF file, 135kb
Includes information on PMID (PubMed) number versus the PMC (PubMed Central) number. 

Where can I find more information on the NIH Public Access Policy?