1. Before you publish: Copyright
Ensure that any agreement with your publisher permits the submission of your manuscript to NIH PubMed Central.
2. After your article is accepted: Submit your manuscript
Unless you've made arrangements for the publisher to do it, the final version of the manuscript, plus any accompanying files, must be submitted to the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS).
3. When you prepare NIH applications, proposals, or progress reports: Cite PubMed Central ID numbers.
When your manuscript is submitted to NIH it will receive an NIHMS ID number, and once it is available in PubMed Central, it will be assigned a PMC ID number.