RSNA News - May 2005

RSNA Responds to NIH Publication Policy

We understand that the NIH policy puts authors in a difficult position. … That’s why we’ve decided to make it as easy as possible for authors to comply.

—Hedvig Hricak, M.D., Ph.D.

RSNA is trying to make it as easy as possible for authors of articles in Radiology to comply with the new National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy regarding publications based on NIH-funded research.

The policy, which takes effect this month, requests that authors submit an electronic version of the final manuscript upon acceptance for publication. The author's final manuscript is defined as the version accepted for journal publication.

When authors submit their manuscripts to NIH, they must specify a time frame for public release ranging from immediate public access after print publication to 12 months after print publication.

The manuscripts will be published on PubMed Central, part of NIH’s National Library of Medicine (NLM).

RSNA Journal Articles

In response to the NIH policy, the RSNA Publications Council recommended, and the RSNA Board of Directors approved, that:

• Authors of articles in Radiology will be encouraged but not required to specify a release date 12 months from the month of print publication.
• RSNA may, pending NIH’s decision, establish a service for authors through which RSNA will send manuscripts to PubMed Central on behalf of the author if the author specifies the 12-month release date.

“Some publishers have required authors to specify the 12-month release date because an earlier release jeopardizes subscriptions and thus the funding for a journal,” explained RSNA Board Liaison for Publications and Communications Hedvig Hricak, M.D., Ph.D. “We understand that the NIH policy puts authors in a difficult position. Should they abide by the copyright statement they sign when submitting their manuscripts or should they agree to the NIH request that they provide a copy of their manuscript to PubMed Central immediately following acceptance? The RSNA Publications Council and the RSNA Board of Directors recognize that authors cannot treat a request from a granting agency lightly. That’s why we’ve decided to make it as easy as possible for authors to comply.”

A new statement has been developed for the copyright transfer form that authors sign when submitting a manuscript to Radiology:

Radiology grants the authors permission to provide a copy of the accepted manuscript to NIH on acceptance for publication, and encourages authors to specify public release in PubMed Central twelve months after publication in the print issue of the Journal.

RSNA is willing to provide an electronic copy of accepted manuscripts to PubMed Central, if the authors specify the 12-month release date; however, NIH has not yet decided if it will allow “third-party submissions.”

RSNA will continue to monitor the operational details of the NIH policy as they develop in order to assist journal authors.

Multiple Versions of an Article

A key problem with the PubMed Central repository is the creation of multiple versions of an article—one more accurate than another—and attendant citation difficulties.

“For most journals, and certainly for Radiology, the accepted manuscript differs from the revised, copyedited final version. The differences are often substantive and, thus, the manuscript on PubMed Central may contain errors,” said Roberta E. Arnold, M.A., M.H.P.E., assistant executive director for RSNA publications and communications.

“This is why RSNA is working with other publishers to develop a uniform statement that would appear on manuscripts deposited with PubMed Central. The statement would indicate the journal name and provide a Web link to the final published version,” Arnold explained. “It is hoped that NIH will agree to link to the final published version so that readers have access to the definitive article and that the definitive article will be the one selected for citation.”

Earlier Online Access to Radiology and RadioGraphics

All RSNA members and journal subscribers automatically receive online access to articles from Radiology and RadioGraphics.

In a move that is less of a response to the NIH policy than a decision to enhance the availability of information for clinicians and researchers, the RSNA Board decided in January 2005 to alter the policy for nonmember journal access. Since 2000, free access has been provided to all issues two or more years old, resulting in 3,521 articles from Radiology and 783 articles from RadioGraphics free as of this writing.

For more information on the new NIH policy and related documents, including a "Questions and Answers" fact sheet, go to www.nih.gov/about/publicaccess/index.htm.