FAQ

Q1

When I submit my final report to the NIHR Journals Library will this prevent me submitting papers to other journals?

Q2

My final report is to be published in the NIHR Journals Library with copyright assigned to the Crown. What does this mean in terms of dissemination?

Q3

When my final report has been accepted for publication in the NIHR Journals Library, can I still submit papers to other learned journals?

Q4

I’ve already had work published in other journals.  Does that matter?

Q5

Will other journals reject my work because I’ve got work published in the NIHR Journals Library?

Q6

Can the text of ‘my’ NIHR Journals Library issue be reproduced by another journal?

Q7

If the report I’m preparing will also be submitted as a Cochrane Review, is there anything special that I ought to do?

Q8

Will the editors of the NIHR Journals Library be able change my work?

Q9

Can the NIHR Journals Library publication be delayed so that it doesn’t conflict with the date of publication of my work in another journal?

Q10

We will want to put a copy of our NIHR Journals Library publication on our own web page. Is that OK?

Q11

I want to include something from someone else’s publication in my report for the NIHR Journals Library, is that OK?

A1

No. We encourage the dissemination of information through both the NIHR Journals Library and other journals. Your project contract stipulates that you submit a comprehensive paper suitable for publication in the journal for your funding programme. Please note:

• When you submit your final report it will undergo external review. If your report is accepted for publication, it will be published in the relevant programme journal within the NIHR Journals Library. Under the terms of your contract, copyright of this work is assigned to the Crown.
• If you intend to submit to other journals you should not submit large items of identical work to the work you submit to the NIHR Journals Library and you must not assign exclusive rights to the journal (because the copyright is not yours to assign).
• You must notify your funding programme of any publication at the same time as you submit it for publication, or at least 28 days before the date intended for publication where possible.
• You must acknowledge your funding programme as the funder. All published material must contain an acknowledgement of funding and an appropriate disclaimer. Suggested wording is available from the Funding acknowledgements and disclaimers page.

A2

Publication with the copyright assigned to the Crown allows the widest possible dissemination. This is because it ensures that there are no barriers to the Crown being able to authorise others to reproduce the material and increase the public’s access to your work in a variety of formats. For example, your journal issue may be freely reproduced for the purposes of private research and study and extracts (or indeed, the full report) may be included in professional journals provided that suitable acknowledgement is made and the reproduction is not associated with any form of advertising. Applications for commercial reproduction would have to be addressed to NETSCC for case-by-case consideration.

A3

Yes.  We would encourage you to do so.  However, please note the comments made in A1 above about acknowledging your funding programme’s financial support etc. and particularly the instruction not to assign exclusive rights to any other journals. In practical terms, this means that when a journal publisher sends you a copyright assignment form, you should select the option that indicates that your material is protected by Crown copyright, is copyrighted by the Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO, or that you have undertaken work as a UK Government employee. If those options are unavailable on a form, please attach a note to say that your material is protected by Crown copyright, so assignment is unnecessary. If the publisher is concerned about this, the editorial office at NETSCC can arrange a non-exclusive licence to publish your work. Please email nihredit@southampton.ac.uk to arrange this.

A4

Generally, no. We want to encourage you to publish widely and are confident that a comprehensive report will be different in nature to briefer, more focused articles published by other journals.

However, your report for the NIHR Journals Library must not contain large sections that are identical to your published work. If there is a certain amount of overlap and you assigned copyright to that journal, you must get permission from that journal's publisher for the work to be reproduced in the NIHR Journals Library.

If the published article relates to work funded by the UK Government it is protected by Crown copyright. Her Majesty the Queen, the first owner of Crown copyright, has appointed the Controller of HMSO to administer Crown copyright on Her behalf. The Controller must personally assign Crown copyright so if you signed the copyright release form submitted by the journal it will have no legal standing.

You should write to the journal explaining that you signed the form in error and state that you have asked NETSCC to issue a non-exclusive licence, in retrospect. The licence will require the journal to acknowledge that the article is © Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO.

A5

This shouldn’t be a problem. We will endeavour to ensure that dual publication is avoided. For example, on the existing Health Technology Assessment journal, a policy to avoid redundant publication has been created and accepted by the Committee for Publication Ethics (COPE), an informal group of editors from leading medical journals.

When submitting elsewhere, you are expected to inform the other journals of the actual or expected publication date of your NIHR Journals Library issue and how your submitted paper differs. Usually, the difference is that you will be submitting a full and comprehensive account of your funded research to the NIHR Journals Library, as opposed to submitting smaller articles or excerpts of the research to other learned journals.

A6

Yes. Extracts (or indeed, the full report) may be included in professional journals provided that suitable acknowledgement is made and the reproduction is not associated with any form of advertising. Applications for commercial reproduction would have to be addressed to NETSCC. (See A1 above).

A7

In practical terms there is no conflict between your report appearing in the NIHR Journals Library and as a Cochrane Review. Because we want to encourage the widest dissemination of your results we will be pleased to allow the work to be reproduced elsewhere (provided it is properly attributed – see A1 above).

Prior to publication it will be important to ensure that you keep both organisations aware of any changes you make to your draft in response to their independent review processes.

A8

They can. In common with all journal editors, the editors of the NIHR Journals Library will reserve the right to amend, correct and edit your final report. However, this will always be done in collaboration with you as report author.
Whilst the NIHR Journals Library will be published with copyright assigned to the Crown, you will retain Moral Rights (under Chapter IV of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998).  Essentially these are:

• the right to be identified as author;
• the right to object to derogatory treatment of a work;
• the right not to have a work falsely attributed to an author; and
• the right to privacy of photographs and films.

A9

Within certain limitations, yes. We would always prefer to avoid undue delays in making research findings available. But, if a journal editor is particularly concerned about dual publication, we are prepared to consider delaying the timing of the NIHR Journals Library publication so that it follows the other journal publication. Please ensure you include a funding acknowledgement and disclaimer in the earlier publication.

The editors of the NIHR Journals Library will expect to negotiate such arrangements directly with the other journal editor.

A10

We are happy for you (or other journals) to make your NIHR Journals Library issue available via links to our website.

A11

Yes, but as author, it is your responsibility to apply for and fund all media copyright permission from the journal. Please email nihredit@southampton.ac.uk if you require further guidance on applying for permissions.