HAL[1] is an online platform developed in 2001 by the Centre pour la communication scientifique directe (CCSD) of the CNRS. It is intended for the submission and dissemination of scientific articles, theses or technical reports. The publications are freely accessible, but not necessarily for use. Any researcher may submit his or her work there, whether from a French or foreign educational and research institution, and from a public or private laboratory. The portal is published in French and English.
HAL is open to all disciplines. The platform checks the scientific content of submitted articles and documents, but does not evaluate them in detail (peer review). Scientific articles may be submitted in pre-publication or after publication in a peer-reviewed journal. In all cases, they remain freely accessible.