Effective July 1, 2024, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) enabled six new product types in the NSF Public Access Repository (NSF-PAR): audiovisual, data paper, educational aid and curriculum, posted content, software, and sound. The NSF-PAR search and filter feature has been updated to include all 11 supported product types. There are no changes to NSF’s Public Access policy or project reporting requirements. This update enhances the repository’s ability to capture a broader range of research outputs and makes it easier for researchers to share and access a variety of scientific materials. Here’s a comprehensive guide to what these changes mean for you and how to navigate the updated NSF-PAR system.
Principal Investigators (PIs) and co-PIs may also need to enter a digital object identifier (DOI) depending on the product type being added to the NSF-PAR:
- Audiovisual, software, and sound products must be entered with a DOI.
- Data paper and posted content products can be entered with or without a DOI.
- Educational aid or curriculum products can only be added without a DOI.
Adding New Products to NSF Project Reports: The six new product types do not currently auto-populate from the NSF-PAR into NSF project reports in Research.gov, but PIs and co-PIs can manually add these product types to project reports. See the table below for navigation instructions on the Research.gov Project Reporting System for adding the new product types.
Details on New Product Types
- Audiovisual: This includes videos, animations, and other visual media. They must be entered with a digital object identifier (DOI).
- Data Paper: This describes datasets and includes methods for data collection and analysis. It can be entered with or without a DOI.
- Educational Aid and Curriculum: Teaching materials, lesson plans, and other educational resources. These can only be added without a DOI.
- Posted Content: Preprints, white papers, and other non-peer-reviewed materials. It can be entered with or without a DOI.
- Software: Programs, scripts, and other software products. These must be entered with a DOI.
- Sound: Includes podcasts, audio recordings, and other sound files. These must be entered with a DOI.
Updating NSF Project Reports
While the six new product types enhance the NSF-PAR, they do not currently auto-populate into NSF project reports on Research.gov. Principal Investigators (PIs) and co-PIs must manually add these new product types to their project reports. Here’s how you can do it:
- Log in to Research.gov: Access your account and navigate to the Project Reporting System.
- Select Your Project: Choose the project for which you want to add new products.
- Add Product Types: Use the navigation options provided to manually enter details for audiovisual, data paper, educational aid, curriculum, posted content, software, and sound.
- Enter DOI (if applicable): Ensure that you include a DOI for audiovisual, software, and sound products. Data paper and posted content can be entered with or without a DOI, while educational aid or curriculum products do not require a DOI.
For detailed instructions on adding new product types to NSF project reports, visit the Research.gov About Public Access page. This page includes FAQs and updated how-to guides that incorporate the six new product types. For further information on NSF’s open science initiatives, see the NSF Public Access Initiative page.
The inclusion of six new product types in the NSF-PAR marks a significant step towards greater transparency and accessibility in scientific research. By accommodating a wider range of research outputs, the NSF is facilitating the dissemination and impact of valuable scientific contributions. Researchers are encouraged to take advantage of these updates to share their work more broadly and comply with NSF’s public access policies.
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