Submitting to PubMed Central

There are four methods to ensure that an applicable paper is submitted to PubMed Central (PMC) in compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy. Authors may use whichever method is most appropriate for them and consistent with their publishing agreement. To identify the submission and reporting method for a specific journal, visit Determine Submission Method.

Which journals automatically deposit to PMC?

Overview of Submission Methods

Version of Paper Submitted Final Published Article Final Peer-Reviewed Manuscript
Submission Process Publisher posts the paper directly to PMC Papers are required to be submitted via the NIHMS upon acceptance for publication. Publishers, authors or their designee deposit files and the NIHMS converts them to the PMC native format.
Submission Method to Deposit Files
  • Method A: Some journals automatically post NIH supported papers directly to PMC
  • Method B: Authors must make special arrangements for some journals and publishers to post the paper directly to PMC
  • Method C: Authors or their designee must submit manuscripts to the NIHMS
  • Method D: Some publishers will submit manuscripts to the NIHMS
  • Awardees are responsible for ensuring manuscripts are submitted to the NIHMS upon acceptance for publication
Approve Submission Publisher Author, via NIHMS
Approve PMC web version Publisher Author, via NIHMS
Responsible Party NIH Awardee NIH Awardee
To cite papers, from acceptance for publication to 3 months post publication PMCID or “PMC Journal- In Process” PMCID or NIHMSID
To cite papers, 3 months post publication and beyond PMCID PMCID
Step-By-Step Instructions And Best Practices Participating Journals And Publishers
/faqs#/public-access-policy
Related Resources

Determine Submission Method