The ATS considers original manuscripts for publication only if their primary findings have not been reported elsewhere. Authors may talk with the press about their work, but should coordinate with the ATS Communications staff in advance, so that reporters are fully aware of the ATS policy and understand that papers are embargoed until after publication. Manuscripts remain privileged documents and will not be released to the press or the public before publication, unless it is done under embargo, under the auspices of the ATS. The ATS may refuse to publish, despite acceptance for publication by an editor, if the information in the manuscript has been disseminated prematurely in the media.
The embargo policy rests on the premise that publication in a peer-reviewed journal is the appropriate validation and forum for original research. The peer-reviewed journal should be the primary source of information about the research, as the peer-review process is an essential step before the information is publicly disseminated and discussed.
The media embargo period for a manuscript begins with the time of an author's submission and ends when the article appears online under “Articles in Press” (or the ATS rejects the manuscript).
A publication that publishes the key findings of an article published in the ATS journals prior to online publication in Articles in Press would be in violation of the ATS embargo policy. An author or other interested party who releases the manuscript or its key findings to the media prior to online publication, unless under the auspices of the ATS Communications Office, would also be in violation of this policy.