NIH released NOT-OD-17-050 on March 24, 2017, regarding citing preprints and other interim research products in applications and progress reports. While the inclusion of preprints and interim research products is not required, NIH encourages investigators to make them publicly available in repositories to speed the dissemination and enhance the rigor of their work.

The change is effective for all applications submitted for the May 25, 2017 due date and thereafter, and for RPPRs submitted on or after May 25, 2017.

Preprints and interim research products

Preprints are generally defined as the author-created first version of a journal manuscript submitted to a publisher, before peer review. Other interim research products include white papers and annual reports. These materials do not fall under the NIH public access policy. Read more about the use of preprints in the life sciences from ASAPbio, a scientist-driven initiative to promote the productive use of preprints. See also NIH's Interim Research Products FAQ and "Ten simple rules to consider regarding preprint submission" (PLOS Computational Biology).

Sharing interim research products through eScholarship@UMMS

While there are many options for publicly sharing preprints (including bioRxiv and PeerJ Preprints), the UMMS institutional repository, eScholarship@UMMS, managed by the Lamar Soutter Library, can also serve as a home for your preprints and other interim research products that you wish to make publicly available.

Why you should consider disseminating your preprints through eScholarship@UMMS:

• Free for UMass Medical School researchers
• DOIs, Creative Commons licenses, and usage statistics can be provided, as specified in the NIH announcement
• Ability to include supplemental material such as additional tables, video files, etc.
• Digital materials are permanently archived for the purpose of ensuring long-term availability and accessibility
• Managed by the library

Here is an example of a preprint archived in eScholarship@UMMS:

http://escholarship.umassmed.edu/ortho_pp/184/

The library wants to help you disseminate your preprints and gain increased exposure and citations for your research. If you have any questions about our repository services or are interested in depositing a preprint with us, please contact Lisa Palmer (lisa.palmer@umassmed.edu).