NIH Public Access Policy and You: 1. Before Article is Submitted to a Journal

1. Authors should investigate a journal’s policy before submission to ensure they can comply with the Public Access Policy requirements.
   • Tool for looking up journal policies: Open Policy Finder (or visit the journal/publisher sites)
   • Look out for the following phrases:
     • Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) – Will you have the right to deposit the AAM?
     • Self-archiving rights or Green Open Access – Can you self-archive in repositories?
     • Zero embargo – Does the publication have a delay/embargo for the AAM?
2. Authors should consider publication costs before submitting.
   • Does the journal charge an APC? (List of open access journals without fees)
   • Does the publisher’s policy allow free PMC deposit? (Database of journal policies)
   • Does UNC-Chapel Hill have an open access agreement with the publisher that covers any open access fees?
   • Is the APC reasonable? Does it fit within the project budget?

For additional information, visit the Libraries' Planning for Open Access Costs Guide.