9 Self-Archiving

An important part of the publishing agreement is its stance on self-archiving, which is a term used to describe how authors can share their research after publication. If an article can be self-archived, then it can be deposited in a repository for widespread dissemination. Note that publishers will often have varying policies for the following versions of an article:

• Published version: The version of record
• Author’s Accepted Manuscript or post-print version: The version after peer review but before final copy-editing and layout
• Pre-print: The version prior to peer review

Typically, the Author’s Accepted Manuscript can be self-archived. However, authors should check the publisher’s policy on this point and they may wish to negotiate to allow expanded self-archiving rights. For instance, funders may require that a version of an article be deposited in a repository with no embargo or with particular reuse allowances. Be sure that the funder and publisher align on these points.

Check Sherpa/Romeo for links to publishers’ policies regarding copyright and self-archiving.