The NIH encourages all researchers to take advantage of public dissemination of preprints and other interim research products. And they also want you to do it their way. This LibGuide is here to help explain the process.
The NIH announced their policy on preprints and interim research products, Reporting Preprints and Other Interim Research Products, in Notice Number NOT-OD-17-050 on March 24, 2017. The information regarding preprint and IRP use and citations in NIH forms is effective May 25, 2017. The announcement can be found on the NIH website.
Briefly, Interim Research Products (IRPs) are the completed or near-completed outcomes of research that are not yet subjected to peer-review and publication. Most commonly, this refers to preprints--unpublished manuscripts ready for journal submission--but may also refer to unpublished protocols, posters, datasets, and other completed publication work.
