NIH Public Access Policy

The NIH Public Access Policy is a policy enacted by the United States' National Institutes of Health (NIH) to ensure that the public has access to the published results of NIH funded research. It requires scientists to submit final peer-reviewed journal manuscripts that arise from NIH funds to the digital archive PubMed Central upon acceptance for publication.

Background

The NIH Public Access Policy was implemented in 2008, following a year-long voluntary policy. The policy is designed to advance science and improve human health. By ensuring that the results of NIH-funded research are accessible to the public, the policy aims to help doctors, nurses, health professionals, teachers, students, and other individuals use this knowledge for the betterment of human health.

Policy Details

Under the NIH Public Access Policy, all investigators funded by the NIH are required to submit or have submitted for them an electronic version of their final, peer-reviewed manuscripts upon acceptance for publication, to be made publicly available no later than 12 months after the official date of publication. This policy applies to all NIH-funded research, including grants, contracts, and other NIH-funded projects.

Implementation

The NIH Public Access Policy is implemented through the PubMed Central digital archive. PubMed Central is a free digital repository that archives publicly accessible full-text scholarly articles that are high quality and peer-reviewed. It is a key component in the NIH's strategy to maintain a stable archive of NIH-funded research and to ensure compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy.

Impact

The NIH Public Access Policy has had a significant impact on the accessibility of scientific research. It has increased the availability of research findings to the public, researchers, and healthcare providers. This has facilitated the translation of research into knowledge and practice, contributing to the advancement of science and improvement of human health.

See Also

• Open Access
• PubMed Central
• National Institutes of Health