Preface

The purpose of this policy is to protect

1. material that has been published in the journal Psychometrika and therefore is copyrighted by the Psychometric Society, or
2. that has been accepted for publication in the journal Psychometrika.

This policy does not apply to written material which

1. has not been submitted for publication,
2. has been withdrawn from consideration, or
3. has been rejected.

This policy restricts anonymous access to electronic copies of written work that has been published or is accepted for publication in the journal Psychometrika. The Editor of Psychometrika will be the final judge and arbitrator of the meaning and application of this policy.

Statement of Guidelines
I.   Prior to acceptance⁴, authors are free to post on the Internet⁵ full copies of work which has been submitted for publication in Psychometrika.

II.  Internet Posting of Work Which Has Been Accepted for Publication:

1. Pre-publication⁶ copies of accepted manuscripts must not be posted on the Internet in their entirety.
2. Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication--but prior to its publication--in Psychometrika, authors can only post the following portions of the manuscript on the Internet (webpage, ftp site, etc.): (i) title, (ii) author name(s), (iii) abstract, (iv) key words, and (v) reference section. Violation of this prohibition is sufficient grounds for the Editor of Psychometrika to reject a manuscript.
3. Two weeks after notification of acceptance has been received all current and prior versions⁷ of the full manuscript must be removed from the Internet.
4. Pre-publication copies of the full manuscript can be given to colleagues, students, and other persons who request a copy, but full copies of the work will not be made available via download from a webpage or ftp site.
5. Third parties such as colleagues, students and other persons who receive a copy of the manuscript from an author should be advised that (a) only the title, author name(s), abstract, key words, and reference section can be posted on the Internet, (b) they will not duplicate or distribute the manuscript without the permission of the author(s), and (c) if third parties violate these prohibitions, it might cause the Editor to either withdraw acceptance or delay publication, and it could jeopardize the ability of an author or authors to publish future work in Psychometrika.

III. Post-Publication Postings on the Internet:

1. Authors must not do anything that infringes on or violates the copyrights held by the Psychometric Society. Any re-publication of material that has appeared in Psychometrika requires written permission from the Managing Editor.
2. For the five year period immediately after an article, note, or its equivalent has been published in Psychometrika, authors can only post the following portions of an article, note, etc. on the Internet (webpage, ftp site, etc.): (i) title, (ii) author name(s), (iii) abstract, (iv) key words, and (v) reference section. Violation of this prohibition is sufficient grounds for the Editor of Psychometrika to reject future manuscripts from an author or authors. After this five year period has expired, authors can post the full text on the Internet.
3. All Internet postings of content that has been published in Psychometrika must include a full citation of the original source; that is, journal name, year, volume number, issue number, author name(s), title, and page numbers.
4. For a five year period following publication, copies of the full manuscript or electronic copies that include the complete published work (such as a PDF⁸ file) can be given to colleagues, students, and other persons who request a copy, but copies of the complete work will not be made available via download from an Internet site such as a webpage or ftp site.
5. Colleagues, students and other persons who receive a copy of the manuscript, PDF file, etc. from an author or authors during the first five years following publication should be advised that (a) only the title, author name(s), abstract, key words, and reference section can be posted on the Internet, (b) the PDF file (or any other electronic format) can not be duplicated and distributed by non-authors without the permission of the Managing Editor of Psychometrika, and (c) if anyone violates these prohibitions, it will jeopardize the ability of an author or authors to publish future work in Psychometrika.

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1. The current guidelines for Psychometrika authors titled "Instructions to Psychometrika Authors" was published in 1994 (see the September 1994 issue, Volume 59, Number 3, pp. 281-287). Much has changed since 1994. Eventually the "Instructions" document will be revised. In the meantime the Editor and/or the Managing Editor may issue addendum that revises or adds to sections of the "Instructions" document. When the revised "Instructions" document is released, the new "Instructions" document will supersede the previous document and all the addendum.
2. In this document "work", "manuscript", and "written material prepared for publication" are used interchangeably.
3. This policy statement will be effective from 1 February 2000 until such time as the Editorial Council of the Psychometric Society establishes a policy relevant to this topic, or the 1994 "Instructions to Psychometrika Authors" is revised.
4. A work will be considered "accepted" when the author(s) receive written notification from the Editor of Psychometrika via mail, e-mail, or fax that the work has been accepted for publication. Note: So that there is no room for confusion, the acceptance notification contains the following information: (a) dates when the work was first received and when the final version was received, and (b) notification that the Managing Editor will be asked "to place the work in the publication queue"-or some similar language.
5. For the purposes of this policy, computer networks that are administered by an author's employer, and which can not be accessed anonymously by non-employees are not considered part of the Internet.
   6 Works which have been accepted for publication in Psychometrika, and which have not been withdrawn or published.
6. If authors have any questions regarding whether or not a specific work constitutes a "prior version", they should consult the Editor for a determination.
7. Adobe Portable Document Format.