How do I deposit NIH-funded research to PubMed Central (PMC) and what version should I use?

Authors must submit final peer-reviewed journal manuscripts supported by NIH funds to the digital archive PubMed Central (PMC) upon acceptance for publication. The policy requires that these papers are made available on PMC no later than 12 months after publication. 

What version should I deposit?

Authors should visit the NIH/PubMed deposit website to deposit the 'accepted version' of the manuscript. The accepted manuscript is the version updated to include the author’s revisions after peer review, prior to any typesetting for the journal. this is often the version accepted by the editor. Please see Green Open Access: Sage’s Archiving and Sharing Policy for further information.

How do I deposit NIH-funded research to PubMed Central (PMC)?

Below you will find step-by-step instructions for completing this process. If you have any problems uploading your manuscript or questions regarding NIH policies, please contact the NIH customer service and tech department at info@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

1. Create an account or log in to an existing account at NIH/PubMed deposit website 
2.  Deposit manuscript files and link to NIH funding:
   • Upload a copy of the accepted 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.
   • If you require further assistance, please use the NIHMS tutorials.
3. 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. 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.
4. 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. 
5. After completing step 4, 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.