How to Submit a Thesis to PubMed Central (PMC): Step-by-Step Guide

PubMed Central (PMC) is the free, full-text digital archive of biomedical and life sciences literature maintained by the US National Library of Medicine. Submitting your thesis or dissertation to PMC places your research in front of a global audience of clinicians, researchers, and academics — permanently, freely, and without paywalls. For researchers whose work was funded by the NIH or other participating agencies, PMC submission is a compliance requirement. For others, it is a powerful way to maximise the visibility and impact of years of research. This step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know about submitting a thesis to PMC in 2026.

1What is PubMed Central (PMC)?

PubMed Central is not the same as PubMed. PubMed is a citation and abstract database — it indexes records and links to full text where available. PMC is the actual repository that stores and provides free access to complete, full-text biomedical articles. It was launched in 2000 and now contains over 9 million full-text articles, theses, and book chapters.

PMC is linked directly from PubMed — articles in PMC are flagged "Free PMC Article" in PubMed search results, making them immediately accessible to any researcher worldwide. Content in PMC is permanently archived, meaning it remains accessible even if the original journal goes offline or changes access policies. PMC also assigns a PMCID (PubMed Central ID) to every deposited item, which is a recognised citation identifier used in grant applications, CVs, and publication lists.

2Who Can Submit to PMC?

PMC accepts submissions through several pathways, each with different eligibility requirements. Not all theses are eligible for direct submission — understanding which pathway applies to your situation is the essential first step.

NIH-funded researchers are required by the NIH Public Access Policy to deposit peer-reviewed manuscripts arising from NIH-funded research into PMC within 12 months of publication. This applies to journal articles, not theses per se — but thesis chapters published as journal articles must comply.

Participating publishers and journals deposit articles automatically on behalf of authors. If you publish a paper from your thesis in a PMC-participating journal, the publisher handles the deposit. You do not need to do anything separately.

Authors submitting independently can deposit manuscripts through the NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) system, provided the work meets NIH Public Access Policy eligibility or falls under another participating funder's mandate.

Theses and dissertations specifically are not routinely accepted as standalone submissions to PMC unless they are associated with an NIH-funded project or submitted through an institutional arrangement. However, the most practical path for most medical and nursing researchers is to publish key chapters as journal articles in PMC-indexed open access journals, which then appear in both PubMed and PMC automatically.

3PMC Submission Pathways

There are four main routes through which content reaches PMC, depending on your funding, journal choice, and institutional arrangements:

1. Publisher deposit (automatic): If you publish in a PMC-participating journal — including most major open access journals (PLOS ONE, BMC journals, Frontiers, etc.) — the publisher deposits the article in PMC automatically upon publication. This is the easiest and most common pathway for thesis-derived publications.
2. NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS): Authors whose work is NIH-funded submit accepted manuscripts through the NIHMS portal at nihms.nih.gov. The system guides authors through file formatting, metadata entry, and approval steps.
3. Funder-arranged deposit: Several other funders (Wellcome Trust, UKRI, Gates Foundation) have arrangements with PMC for automatic deposit of their funded research. Check your funding agreement for details.
4. Direct journal submission to a PMC-indexed open access journal: For thesis chapters you wish to publish, choose a journal that is indexed in PMC. After acceptance and publication, your article automatically appears in PMC with a PMCID.

4NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS)

The NIHMS system at nihms.nih.gov is PMC's primary submission portal for author-initiated deposits. It is used by researchers whose work is subject to the NIH Public Access Policy or similar funder mandates. The NIHMS process involves three main approval steps after submission:

1. Web submission: The submitter (author or delegate) uploads the manuscript files and enters metadata (title, authors, journal, publication date, grant numbers).
2. Author approval: The corresponding author receives an email to review and approve the formatted manuscript before it is sent to PMC.
3. PMC processing: Once approved, NIHMS sends the files to PMC, which processes and assigns a PMCID, typically within 2–4 weeks.

NIHMS accepts manuscripts in multiple formats (Word, LaTeX, PDF), though structured XML is preferred for optimal formatting in PMC. The system provides a formatted preview so authors can check how the article will appear before final approval.

5Required File Formats and Elements

PMC has specific technical requirements for submitted files. Submissions that do not meet these requirements are returned for revision, which can delay the PMCID assignment by weeks. Ensure your submission includes:

• Manuscript file: Accepted formats include Microsoft Word (.docx), LaTeX (.tex with all source files), or PDF. Word format is the easiest for most researchers. The manuscript must include all text, references, and figure captions in a single document.
• Figures: Submit figures as separate high-resolution image files (TIFF or EPS preferred, minimum 300 DPI for photographs, 600 DPI for line art). Figures embedded only in the manuscript PDF are not accepted as standalone figure files.
• Tables: Tables should be included in the manuscript file as editable text, not as images.
• Supplementary materials: Submit as separate files clearly labelled as supplementary data.
• Metadata: Title, all author names, affiliations, abstract, keywords, journal name, volume, issue, page numbers, DOI, and grant/funding information must be entered accurately in the NIHMS system.

6Step-by-Step Submission Process

1. Confirm eligibility: Verify that your manuscript is subject to the NIH Public Access Policy or another participating funder mandate. Check your grant agreement or contact your funder's grants management officer.
2. Check journal compliance: Determine whether your journal deposits automatically in PMC (Method A or B journals) or whether you need to submit through NIHMS (Method C). Check the NIHMS journal list at nihms.nih.gov/db/journals.html.
3. Create an NIHMS account: Go to nihms.nih.gov and sign in with your eRA Commons credentials (used for NIH grant applications) or create a new account.
4. Initiate a new submission: Click "Submit new manuscript," enter your manuscript's PubMed ID (PMID) if already published, or enter metadata manually.
5. Upload files: Upload your manuscript document, figure files, and supplementary files following the format requirements above.
6. Review the formatted output: NIHMS generates a formatted preview. Review carefully for any formatting errors, missing figures, or incorrect metadata.
7. Approve and submit: The corresponding author approves the submission via the emailed link. After approval, NIHMS transmits files to PMC.
8. Receive your PMCID: PMC processes the submission and assigns a PMCID within 2–4 weeks. You will receive an email confirmation. The PMCID appears in your eRA Commons publication list automatically.

7Open Access Licensing Requirements

All content deposited in PMC must be made available under terms that permit free access, distribution, and reuse. PMC accepts content under a range of open access licences, but the most common are:

• CC BY (Creative Commons Attribution): The most permissive licence — allows anyone to share, adapt, and build upon the work for any purpose, including commercially, as long as they credit the original author. Required by many funders including the NIH, Wellcome Trust, and Gates Foundation for their funded research.
• CC BY-NC (Attribution, Non-Commercial): Permits sharing and adaptation for non-commercial purposes only. Accepted by PMC and common in many open access journals.
• CC BY-ND (Attribution, No Derivatives): Permits sharing but not adaptation. Accepted by PMC but less common.
• PMC's own licence: For NIH-funded manuscripts submitted through NIHMS, a specific PMC deposit licence is used that allows PMC to make the content freely available while the author retains copyright.

Always check your journal's copyright agreement before submission. Many journals ask authors to transfer copyright — this can complicate PMC deposit. Retain your right to deposit in PMC by adding an author addendum to the copyright transfer agreement, or by choosing journals that explicitly permit PMC deposit in their author agreements.

8Common Issues and Troubleshooting