Repository Policy

The Archives of Psychiatry and Mental Health (APMH) embraces a progressive, open-science publication model supporting broad dissemination, long-term preservation, and global accessibility of scholarly work in psychiatry, psychology, behavioral sciences, and mental health research. This Repository Policy elaborates upon the earlier repository guidance from the predecessor site and modernizes it in alignment with internationally recognized standards including DOAJ guidelines, Plan S, Sherpa/RoMEO classifications, COPE best practices, and the OpenAIRE compatibility framework.

Because APMH is committed to the principles of open research ecosystems, authors retain significant rights to deposit, archive, distribute, and reuse their manuscripts under clearly defined terms. This policy outlines permissible repository deposition, versioning details, licensing implications, and compliance expectations for authors, institutions, and funding bodies.

Objectives of the Repository Policy

The repository framework of APMH aims to:

  • Promote global access to mental health scholarship
  • Support sustainable open-access dissemination
  • Enable compliance with funding requirements
  • Enhance research visibility, impact, and citation potential
  • Ensure long-term preservation of the scholarly record
  • Empower authors through flexible self-archiving rights

All repository permissions apply under the journal’s open-access model and Creative Commons licensing choices.

Repository and Archive Types Recognized by APMH

APMH permits and encourages deposition in a variety of scholarly repositories, including:

  • Institutional repositories (university digital archives)
  • Subject repositories (e.g., PsyArXiv, MedRxiv, ResearchGate*)
  • National or public repositories (e.g., PubMed Central where applicable)
  • International repositories (Zenodo, OpenAIRE, Figshare)
  • Funding-mandated repositories (e.g., NIH Public Access)

*While ResearchGate and similar platforms are not formal repositories, authors may still share permitted versions according to licensing terms.

Versions Eligible for Repository Deposit

APMH permits depositing the following manuscript versions, each with specific conditions:

1. Preprint (Submitted Version)

Authors may deposit:

  • The original submitted manuscript (pre-peer review)
  • On any preprint server or repository
  • At any time — before or after submission

Authors must clearly label preprints with:

  • A statement that the work is not yet peer-reviewed
  • A link to the journal submission (once available)

2. Postprint (Accepted Manuscript After Peer Review)

Authors may deposit the accepted version:

  • After peer review but before typesetting
  • In institutional or subject repositories
  • Immediately upon acceptance — no embargo

Required citation:

“Accepted for publication in the Archives of Psychiatry and Mental Health (APMH). Final published version available at: [DOI].”

3. Publisher’s Version (Version of Record)

Authors may share the full published PDF under the journal’s open-access license:

  • Immediately upon publication
  • On any repository, website, or scholarly platform
  • Without embargo
  • Provided that citation and DOI remain intact

This maximizes discoverability and long-term accessibility.

Licensing and Repository Use

Published articles appear under a Creative Commons license (typically CC BY 4.0). Under this license:

  • Authors retain copyright
  • Anyone may share, reuse, or adapt the work
  • Proper attribution and DOI citation are required

Repository deposition must also follow CC BY requirements:

  • Attribution to authors
  • Citation of the journal
  • Link to the published version

Metadata Requirements

When depositing in repositories, authors must include:

  • Article title
  • Author names and affiliations
  • Journal name (APMH)
  • ISSN
  • Volume, issue, and page numbers
  • Publication year
  • DOI linking to the version of record
  • Copyright notice and license information

Automated Repository Distribution

To further support discoverability, APMH ensures metadata distribution to:

  • Crossref
  • Google Scholar
  • Semantic Scholar
  • OpenAIRE (via OAI-PMH compatibility)
  • International archiving services

This ensures that articles remain permanently indexed and accessible across global platforms.

Preservation and Permanent Archiving

APMH employs multiple preservation strategies:

  • Portico / CLOCKSS participation*
  • Publisher-side backups
  • DOI-based referencing through Crossref
  • Multiple mirror hosting servers

*Where applicable and as hosting arrangements evolve.

Permanent archiving ensures the survival of scholarly content beyond technological changes, platform migrations, or publisher transitions.

Repository Compliance With Funder Requirements

APMH supports compliance with policies from:

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • European Research Council (ERC)
  • Horizon Europe
  • Wellcome Trust
  • UKRI
  • Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)
  • Private foundations and NGO funders

Authors must deposit accepted manuscripts in funder-mandated repositories according to their grant conditions.

Prohibited Repository Practices

Authors must not:

  • Remove citation details or DOI information
  • Create altered or misleading versions of the manuscript
  • Deposit proprietary or confidential reviewer comments
  • Share third-party content without permission
  • Post fraudulent or manipulated data versions

Violations may result in corrections, takedown notices, or ethical investigation.

Practical Example

Example scenario: An APMH author funded by the Wellcome Trust must deposit the accepted manuscript in Europe PMC. Because APMH allows immediate deposition with no embargo, the author uploads the accepted version with a link to the DOI. By including license metadata (CC BY 4.0), repository compliance is achieved seamlessly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I upload the published PDF to ResearchGate?
Yes, as long as the license and DOI remain intact.
Q: Does APMH allow posting to institutional repositories?
Yes — preprints, postprints, and published versions are all permitted.
Q: Is there an embargo period?
No. There is zero embargo for any version.
Q: Can repositories redistribute my article?
Yes, provided CC BY attribution is followed.
Q: Does APMH deposit manuscripts on behalf of authors?
APMH deposits metadata in major indexing systems but authors remain responsible for funder-specific deposits.

Conclusion

The Repository Policy at APMH reflects its core mission: ensuring that mental health research remains openly accessible, widely discoverable, and permanently preserved. By granting authors the right to archive every stage of their manuscript and by maintaining compatibility with global open-access infrastructures, APMH upholds the values of responsible open scholarship and meaningful scientific dissemination.