The transition from a final manuscript to a published "Version of Record" is the culmination of a rigorous intellectual journey. As a researcher, your focus is often on the immediate hurdles: peer review, meticulous revisions, and editorial formatting. However, once your research is live, a new strategic phase begins: Rights Management. Understanding how to legally share and reuse your work is not just a matter of compliance; it is a critical tool for maximizing your research impact, driving citations, and building your H-index within the scholarly community.
Lippincott provides a framework for these rights, but the rules vary significantly depending on which version of the article you wish to share. By navigating these guidelines effectively, you can ensure your findings reach the broadest possible audience while maintaining professional and legal integrity.
Knowing the Difference: Final Published Article vs. Final Peer-Reviewed Manuscript
To manage your rights effectively, you must distinguish between the two primary versions of your work. The permissions granted for each are distinct, particularly regarding the timing of when they can be shared online.
| Feature | Final Published Article (FPA) | Final Peer-Reviewed Manuscript (FPRM) |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The definitive "Version of Record" edited and formatted by the Lippincott Editorial Team. | The final version submitted after peer review, but before Lippincott’s formatting and editing. |
| Formatting | Contains proprietary journal branding, layout, and copyediting. | Generally a plain document (Word/LaTeX) without journal branding. |
| Timing of Use | Immediate for specific, authorized non-profit uses. | Immediate for certain uses (e.g., conferences), but subject to a 12-month lag for online posting. |
Reusing Your Final Published Article (FPA)
The Final Published Article is Lippincott’s proprietary version. Because it includes the publisher's investment in editing and layout, its reuse is permitted only in specific, limited scenarios for non-profit and non-commercial purposes:
- Academic Coursepacks: Inclusion in classroom materials or academic coursepacks for your students.
- Non-Profit Distribution: Authors may produce and distribute a maximum of 100 copies for non-profit purposes.
- Professional Education: Inclusion in Continuing Medical Education (CME) courses.
The Flexibility and Limits of the Final Peer-Reviewed Manuscript (FPRM)
The Final Peer-Reviewed Manuscript (FPRM) offers the greatest flexibility for scholarly communication and networking, provided you adhere to specific embargoes and notification requirements.
Standard Permissions for the FPRM:
- Presentation at conferences, seminars, or professional meetings.
- Inclusion in your own thesis or dissertation.
- Publication within a book or a subsequent journal article.
- Posting on Scholarly Collaboration Networks (SCNs) that endorse STM Sharing Principles.
- Distribution of up to 100 photocopies.
- Inclusion in classroom materials or CME courses.
- Posting on an employer's intranet (subject to embargo).
The 12-Month Embargo and Mandatory Notice
You may deposit the FPRM on a personal blog or website, a university’s institutional repository, or an employer’s intranet only after a 12-month embargo period has elapsed from the official date of publication.
When posting the FPRM online, you must include the following mandatory notice: "This is a non-final version of an article published in final form in [provide complete journal citation]."
Expert Tip: For maximum impact, hyperlink the journal citation in this notice to the final article's DOI (Digital Object Identifier) on the journal's website. This ensures that readers are directed to the Version of Record for citation purposes. The FPRM may never be updated or replaced with the final published proof.
Critical Note for NIH-Funded Researchers: Under the NIH Public Access Policy, it remains the legal responsibility of the author to confirm the provenance of the manuscript for deposit purposes. However, the author may not deposit articles him/herself.
Sharing "Portions": Figures, Tables, and Excerpts
Strategic reuse often involves sharing specific elements of a study rather than the full text. Lippincott allows for the reuse of "Eligible Portions" in new non-commercial projects. However, you are restricted to a total of two items from the following list:
- Figures
- Tables
- Illustrations
- A 400-word text excerpt
- The article abstract
Strategic Advice: Always save a copy of your signed Copyright Transfer Agreement (CTA) at the time of submission. Before applying to use content in a new source, refer to your specific CTA to ensure there are no unique journal-specific restrictions that override these general guidelines.
Navigating Open Access and Creative Commons Licenses
Open Access (OA) provides free, immediate online access to scholarly material. While OA is designed to encourage sharing, Lippincott’s implementation of Creative Commons (CC) licenses includes a critical requirement: Permission is required to reuse content for every license type listed below. Unlike standard OA implementations where attribution is the only requirement, you must still formally request use for:
- CC BY: Requires proper attribution.
- CC BY-SA (Share Alike): Requires attribution; modifications must be shared under the same license.
- CC BY-ND (No Derivatives): Requires attribution; modified content may not be distributed.
- CC BY-NC (Non-Commercial): Requires attribution; restricted to non-commercial use.
- CC BY-NC-SA: Requires attribution; non-commercial only; modifications shared under the same license.
- CC BY-NC-ND: The most restrictive; requires attribution; non-commercial only; no distribution of modified content.
The "How-To": Requesting Permission via RightsLink
Formal permission is a prerequisite for nearly all reuses of published content. Lippincott utilizes RightsLink, the industry-standard service, to manage these requests.
- Locate the Article: Go to the specific article’s page on the journal's website.
- Access RightsLink: Look for the "Request Permissions" or "Permissions & Rights" link, usually found in the article's tools or metadata section. This will take you directly to the RightsLink platform.
- Submit for Review: All requests to reuse the FPA or specific portions must be reviewed by the Lippincott Permissions Team to verify non-profit or non-commercial status.
- Specialized Requests: If your intended use is not covered by the standard options in RightsLink, contact the team directly at permissions@lww.com.
Conclusion & Key Takeaways
Professional rights management is essential for protecting your intellectual property while amplifying your research. Keep these four "Pro-Tips" in mind:
- Obey the 12-Month Lag: Do not post your manuscript to institutional repositories, personal blogs, or employer intranets until the 12-month embargo has passed.
- The "Total of Two" Rule: When pulling figures or excerpts for a new project, remember the limit is two items total from the eligible portions list.
- Mandatory Permission for OA: Even if your article is published under a Creative Commons license, Lippincott requires you to submit a formal permission request via RightsLink.
- NIH Deposit Constraints: Federal researchers must remember that while they are responsible for compliance, they are prohibited from self-depositing articles under the NIH Public Access Policy.