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NIH Public Access Policy Compliance: Compliance Instructions

Alert: Changes are Happening!

image of a red flashing lightFederal guidelines and documentation are changing rapidly. Librarians are monitoring this page for updates, but please note that some information may be out of date based on the ever-changing status of federal regulation. Please feel free to reach out with specific questions to: nihpublicaccesscompliance@dm.duke.edu

Start Here

a black and white image of an unlocked padlockThis page will walk you through the NIH PAP Compliance Submission process. While it can be time-consuming and frustrating, remember that:

  • the NIH Public Access Policy ensures that the public has access to tax-funded research
  • the policy brings valuable scientific information out from behind publisher paywalls
  • the policy provides broader access to your research, which can increase your citations and your research impact.

If your article is stuck somewhere in the process, check out our Troubleshooting Guide.

Step-by-Step NIHMS Submission Guide

  1. Upload the final, accepted manuscript files to NIHMS, either through your NCBI "My Bibliography" or through the NIHMS wizard. Be sure to include any supplementary material and figures. You will also assign a reviewer at this stage (this person will receive emails from NIHMS throughout the process).
  2. Associate funding to the article and provide the Initial Approval of the material.
  3. Wait for NIHMS covert your files to a PubMed Central ready document (typically 2-3 weeks)
  4. Approve the final version of the PubMed Central document. The assigned reviewer will receive ONE email from NIHMS as a notification to do this.
  5. Your article is given a PMCID and is now compliant. Update your NCBI "My Bibliography" to confirm this.

 

Update Your NCBI "My Bibliography"

The information and steps listed below will help ensure that your NCBI "My Bibliography" is up-to-date and accurately tracking the compliance status of your articles. It is important to manage this information as it will be used in your CVs and Biosketches. If you need assistance managing your "My Bibliography," you can assign another person as a delegate. Use this guide to assign a delegate.

 

1. Login to your NCBI account to access your "My Bibliography." Be sure that you are logging in to the correct account (researchers often have their accounts linked to different email addresses; contact the NIH Help Desk to merge accounts if needed).

2. Click on the numbers in red to update and manage the compliance of your articles. This is important for ensuring that your Biosketch is correct and up-to-date.

 

3. Use the color coded cards to determine the status of your publications. Take action where needed!

A green card denotes that your article is compliant and will list the PMCID of the publication.

 

A red card denotes either a non-compliant article or an undefined article. No matter the status, a red card means that you should take action. Use the "Edit Status" buttons to start the submission process in NIHMS or to denote that the article is exempt from the Public Access Policy (only if the publication was not directly funded by the NIH).

 

 

A blue card denotes that the article is in process with NIHMS. This will provide the NIHMSID, which you can cite in a biosketch or grant report.

 

A grey card denotes that a publication is exempt from the policy or that this policy is not applicable. This will only occur a publication was not directly funded by the NIH or if it does not meet the requirements for policy (published prior to 2008, different format, etc.).