AIAA Principles on the Publication, Preservation, and Dissemination of Scholarly Aerospace
Research
AIAA is dedicated to being the forum for innovation, technical excellence, and global leadership
for aerospace professionals. Its mission is to advance the state of aerospace science,
engineering, technology, operations, and policy to benefit global society. Because AIAA’s
community is diverse and global, collaboration and the sharing of information and insights in a
broad context is critical, supported by a fair, open, and ethical approach to all it does.
AIAA’s organizational ancestors were founded in part by writers and editors with contributions
from a community of engineers and scientists with a strong interest in the collection,
preservation, and dissemination of the latest advances in the aerospace research and the
burgeoning profession’s collective knowledge. Publishing, for the general public as well as the
scholarly research community, remains a key component in achieving AIAA’s mission and
advancing its vision. AIAA’s publications accept submissions regardless of membership status or
geographic origin. AIAA publishes accepted, peer-reviewed papers, as well as non-peerreviewed content on a global basis.
Today, preservation of AIAA’s peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed publications represents a
major focus of the Institute. Through the wise reinvestment of revenues generated by the sales
of and subscriptions to its publications, income from other Institute activities, as well as the
generous support of its corporate members, AIAA has created comprehensive archives,
providing several access models for individual members and institutions.
In addition to reinvestment in other publishing services, the revenues from AIAA publications
support investments in professional member collaboration, interaction, development and
recognition worldwide; makes critical investments in student programs at precollege and
undergraduate and post-graduate levels; enables the creation of technical standards that
strengthen the profession and benefit a critical U.S. and international industry with worldwide
benefits. Fundamentally the peer-review process itself and the legitimacy it bestows upon the
content remain the primary beneficiary of publication revenues.
The following principles are the foundation that guides AIAA’s policies and strategies on the
publication, preservation, and dissemination of scholarly aerospace research
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AIAA remains committed to an open peer-review process that welcomes submissions
from the international aerospace research community.
AIAA allows authors to submit and publish their content with no precondition with
regard to copyright assignment, allowing them or their research sponsors the greatest
flexibility in the pursuit of publication.
Version Approved by AIAA Publications Committee
6 January 2011
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AIAA does not require direct financial support from its authors or the sponsors of their
research at the time of submission, acceptance, or publication.
AIAA publishes its peer-reviewed content in advertisement-free publications, ensuring
that research results are presented in an unbiased environment.
AIAA dedicates itself to ensuring a high standard of publication ethics for its authors,
reviewer, and editors—pursuing issues and concerns with thoroughness and vigor,
sanctioning those found to not meet this standard.
AIAA, over the years, has introduced and remains committed to the reasonable
expansion of business models and policies to make free and reduced-priced access to its
content. Currently this includes:
o Free access to the full AIAA journal archive for current member subscribers
o Free access to AIAA standards for members
o The right for authors to post to their personal websites
AIAA will continue to invest in the enhancement of its current as well in the creation of
new peer-reviewed publications and archives for the benefit of its scholarly research
communities, motivated by the service to those communities rather than potential
profit.
AIAA is committed to creating opportunities for the translation of both peer-reviewed
and non-peer-reviewed content for the benefit of its international research community.
AIAA will seek ways to convey the critical results of scholarly research to a broader nonscholarly community.
Version Approved by AIAA Publications Committee
6 January 2011