After a paper is rejected by an American Physical Society (APS) journal, the copyright transfer agreement becomes null and void, allowing authors to submit their work to other non-APS journals without needing to withdraw it formally. The copyright transfer is only effective upon acceptance of the paper by an APS journal. Authors retain full rights to their work until acceptance, enabling them to explore alternative publication options post-rejection.
PREREQUISITESResearchers, authors, and academics looking to navigate the publication process after a paper rejection, particularly those dealing with APS journals and seeking alternative publication avenues.
Why should I transfer copyright to APS before the article is accepted for publication by an APS journal?
Transferring copyright early in the process avoids the possibility of delaying publication if the transfer has to be obtained later in the process. By the terms of the copyright transfer agreement itself, it has no effect until the paper is accepted by an APS journal. The author retains the copyright until acceptance, and has the full freedom, for example, to withdraw the paper from consideration by an APS journal and submit it elsewhere.
Timo said:You may want to read the Copyright FAQ on the APS page. It took me about a minute to find
nemox said:Thanks, Timo. Very helpful to a newbie. Still one question: Do I have to withdraw the paper from APS? Or the rejection means that I am free to submit it somewhere else.
ZapperZ said:Yes, if it has been rejected, and you don't plan on resubmitting it there, then the copyright transfer is null and void. You can resubmit it elsewhere.
Zz.