skip to main content

Attention:

The NSF Public Access Repository (NSF-PAR) system and access will be unavailable from 11:00 PM ET on Friday, March 22 until 6:00 AM ET on Saturday, March 23 due to maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience.


Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use this site?
What is the NSF Public Access Repository?

In support of NSF's plan for providing public access to its funded research, the NSF Public Access Repository (NSF-PAR) is the designated repository where NSF-funded investigators deposit peer-reviewed, published journal articles and juried conference papers. NSF-PAR also provides search mechanisms to enable you to find and use these articles and papers.

How do I use basic search?

By typing in key words or search terms, the basic search will look for items within the NSF Public Access Repository including the title, publisher, author, etc. as well as the text of the publication for relevant matches. The system can also search NSF Award IDs and Digital Object Identifiers. The advanced search includes additional features as well.

Is there an advanced search?

The advanced search will allow you to perform more complex searches, offering you a number of fields, such as title, author, award ID, or publication date, to help you refine your search results.

In Advanced Search, what are the differences in searching "All Fields," "Full Text," and "Bibliographic Data"?

"All Fields" searches everything including the full text and bibliographic information. The "Full Text" field searches only the full text of the document and not the bibliographic data. The "Bibliographic Data" field searches only the bibliographic information and not the full text.

What is Bibliographic data?

Bibliographic data is information unique to and descriptive of a particular document. Basic bibliographic data includes the title, author(s), editor(s), publication date, and journal name. This metadata improves online search and retrieval, and helps ensure preservation of the document.

How do I search the full text of journal articles and final accepted version of the manuscripts?

NSF-PAR automatically searches the journal articles and final accepted versions of the manuscript. You can also search easily by common bibliographic information including author, title, identifying numbers, and publication dates.

How can I download information from the NSF Public Access Repository?

There are several options. If the item is available electronically from the publisher, a hyperlink will be available for the publisher-maintained site. The NSF Public Access Repository also stores copies of items that NSF has funded. In some cases where the publisher does not have a public or open access policy, NSF will offer the deposited manuscript one year after publication. These are made available free of charge after the period of the embargo (or administrative interval) and no later than 12 months after initial publication. There are also various citation export options available on the bibliographic details screen for each result.

During the embargo (or administrative interval), what is accessible via the NSF Public Access Repository?

New content provided to the public will only include bibliographic information and related metadata for publications until the embargo (administrative interval) of up to 12 months from the publication date has passed, at which time full-text links and access will be enabled. During the embargo, citations will include a notation indicating when the full text will be publicly available. For articles published in an Open Access journal or as an Open Access article in a hybrid journal, an embargo of 12 months from publication date may not be required. Policies vary by publisher and publication.

What happens if I click a link that says "full text available?"

You will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval). In some cases where the publisher does not have a public or open access policy, NSF will offer the deposited manuscript one year after publication.

I have deposited my publication in NSF-PAR. How do I now search for my publication?

Once the publication is deposited, you will have access to the NSF PAR ID of your publication. You can either search for the publication from the public site (https://par.nsf.gov/) or via the Manage Publication link on My Desktop after logging into Research.gov.

From the public site, you can search via the title or the award ID of the deposited publication on the https://par.nsf.gov/. You can also use the advanced search option to search for the NSF PAR ID via the Identifier Numbers field.

From Research.gov My Desktop, select the ‘Manage deposited publications’ link. You will be able to search, sort, and edit deposited publications that are tied to your awards.

I am currently on the Search page (https://par.nsf.gov/). How do I navigate to the NSF Public Access Repository to deposit a publication?

You will need to login to http://www.research.gov/ and select the 'deposit publication (NSF-PAR)' link on the 'My Desktop' screen of Research.gov.

What search criteria can I use to find my publication on the NSF Public Access Repository?

You can search via the following fields in the Advanced search criteria via the following fields Title, Bibliographic Data, Creator / Author, Editor, Journal Name, Award Id, Identifier Numbers (aka NSF PAR ID), Publication date.