Frequently Asked Questions
AMA supports and encourages authors’ own efforts to promote and disseminate their works. The FAQ below answers the questions heard most often from authors about their rights after acceptance of their articles in an AMA journal. For further information, please contact our permissions department at permissions@ama.org.
Can I post a copy of my paper on the Internet?
In general, you may not post a copy of your final paper. You may allow your institution to post the paper in its repository, provided that appropriate credit is given to the journal, including the exact copyright notice as printed in the journal. The form of the copyright notice is: © 2xxx, American Marketing Association. A link to the journal's home page or the journal article should also be included. Please consult the Permissions Department if you have a question about appropriate credit.
AMA journals use an anonymous (blind) peer-review system. Please be aware that posting a paper intended for submission (preprint) to an AMA journal may compromise the confidentiality of the refereeing process and delay or prevent a decision based on the paper's merits.
As a further condition of final acceptance of a paper for publication, you must indicate whether the paper is posted on a working paper Web site, other than your own. You are responsible for assuring that if any part of the paper has been copyrighted for prepublication as a working paper, the copyright can and will be transferred to AMA when the paper is accepted. This includes both print and electronic forms of the paper.
Can I post the published version of my paper?
We encourage you to refer or link to the final, definitive version of your paper as published in the journal whenever possible. You may not post proofs of your paper.
When can I post my paper?
We encourage you to refer or link to the final, published version of your paper as soon as it is available (remember that articles are often made available online before the print edition is released). Please note, however, that AMA journals require that an embargo period be observed before you may post any published version of your paper (through your university's repository). The embargo period for all AMA journals is 12 months.
Can I submit my paper to an online preprint or working paper archive?
To avoid citation confusion, we encourage you to refer or link to your paper online only in its final, published version. However, you may post your working paper or parts of the paper (abstract, abridged version) on working paper Web sites before acceptance.
If you choose to submit a prepublication version of your paper to a noncommercial, discipline-specific preprint or working paper archive, however, we require that appropriate credit is given to the journal as described above and ask you to remove the working paper from the archive after your paper is published or replace it with the published version.
Please also note the comments regarding prior publication and anonymous peer review in the previous section of this FAQ.
Can I include my published paper in an official institutional repository?
You may place your published paper in a noncommercial data repository maintained by an institution of which you are a member, provided that all relevant conditions described in this FAQ are met. Your paper may be made available through this repository after the appropriate embargo period (12 months) has been observed. You are responsible for informing the institutional repository of the embargo period that must be observed.
Are there any fees attached to posting my paper online?
There are no fees attached to posting your paper according to the terms described in this FAQ, except that a modest fee will be charged if we supply you with the PDF of your published paper.
Can I republish my paper in another print publication?
You have the nonexclusive right of republication of your paper, in whole or in part, in any book for which you are an author or an editor, provided that you give credit to the journal. The credit should include the exact copyright notice as printed in the journal. There is no fee for such use.
Can I use my paper for teaching purposes in my classes?
You may use your paper for teaching purposes in your classes, including making multiple copies for each student, either individually or as part of a printed course pack, provided such course pack will be used solely for classes you teach. You do not need to seek permission for such use, and no fee will be charged.
Can another author republish my article or a portion thereof without permission?
Your article or portions of your article may be used by other authors in their publications. Small portions may be reprinted without permission from AMA, provided that such use falls within AMA’s guidelines for fair use of copyrighted material. For all other uses, the author and/or publisher must seek permission from AMA.