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You should have a metadata record. If you only have a file such as PDF, but no metadata record, web search to find the metadata record. If you have a metadata record but not a file, use the metadata record to open the file if possible.
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- Materials in databases that UMBC subscribers to may appear free when they are not. If there is a UMBC logo or mention of UMBC on the page, it's a subscription and not free, unless the record states that the item is open access or available for free. If open access, check for a Creative Commons license or terms.
- Science Direct is a subscription database and not free, even though UMBC isn't mentioned on it, unless the record says it's Under an Elsevier user license, or open access, in which case that particular item is free. If Open Access, check for a Creative Commons license or terms.
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- If the item is available for free, see if the work itself or it's record says "Open Access." If it does, look on the publisher and journal website and try to find out what they mean by that. Sometimes, all of a publisher's journals or an entire journal is on a particular Creative Commons license–if it', check the policies on file document, here, Policies on File, for the publisher. If it indicates that all of the publisher's works are on a Creative Commons license, note the license type, and follow the above steps for items on a Creative Commons license.
- If the item is available for free and not on the Policies on File document, look on the publisher and journal website and try to find out what they mean by that. Sometimes, the entire journal is on a particular Creative Commons license–if it's on a Creative Commons license, follow the above steps for Creative Commons Licenses. Other times, they've defined what they mean by Open Access on their own and you need to read to see if they allow items into a repository–frequently in this case they don't allow files, but we can link to the item that is available for free on their website. website–if this is the case, skip down to "Determine which collections to add an item to."
- If you're not finding any information, or don't understand the information you found (it's sometimes in convoluted legalese), be sure to ask for help.
- Note that when an item in Science Direct says "Elsevier user license," this is a limited form of open access--we can link to the item but not load a file--–if this is the case, skip down to "Determine which collections to add an item to."
- If you find that we can load the item either with both a file and link or just a link, skip down to "Determine which collections to add an item to."
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- Materials in databases that UMBC subscribers to may appear free when they are not. If there is a UMBC logo or mention of UMBC on the page, it's a subscription and not free, unless the record states that the item is open access or available for free. If open access, check for a Creative Commons license or terms.
- Science Direct is a subscription database and not free, even though UMBC isn't mentioned on it, unless the record says it's Under an Elsevier user license, or open access, in which case that particular item is free. If Open Access, check for a Creative Commons license or terms. Note that when it says "Elsevier user license" we can link to the item but not load a file.
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- The distribution of files is governed by copyright law. Because of copyright law, adding files usually requires checking publisher's policies (in the "Policies on File Document," the "herpa-Romeo database, or on the journal or publishers website) and abiding by them when adding files. If we can't abide by the publisher's policy, because we can't obtain a version of the article that allows us to distribute a file, then we do not post a file, but only record a note on the print-out saying what version is needed. If the item is available for free on the web, it can be posted with link only, as copyright law doesn't apply to links. Be aware that items may appear free when they're not–see below about this.
- Materials in databases that UMBC subscribers to may appear free when they are not. If there is a UMBC logo or mention of UMBC on the page, it's a subscription and not free, unless the record states that the item is open access or available for free. If open access, check for a Creative Commons license or terms.
- Science Direct is a subscription database and not free, even though UMBC isn't mentioned on it, unless the record says it's Under an Elsevier user license, or open access, in which case that particular item is free. If Open Access, check for a Creative Commons license or terms. Note that when it says "Elsevier user license" we can link to the item but not load a file.
- When posting only a link, copyright law doesn't apply. If an item available for free on the web, the item can be submitted with just a link even if the files can't be submitted. Because copyright law doesn't apply, there is no need to abide by the publisher's terms for self-archiving.
- When adding a file, a link to the final published version of an item should always be included.
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