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.
Determine if the item is in scope for the repository and if it should be entered manually:
Thesis or Dissertations
- If the item is a master thesis or PhD dissertations, or says Proquest Dissertation Publishing, we don't add manually–cross it off on the print-out. UMBC thesis and dissertations are automatically sent to UMBC by Proquest and batch loaded, so don't add to a spreadsheet. We don't receive any senior thesis from Proquest, so these should be added to the spreadsheet and manually loaded. Other institutions' master thesis or PhD dissertations are out of scope.
CV's, Obituaries, Patents, and Abstracts with no Full Text
Cross these out on the print-out:
- If the item is a CV it's out of scope. We don’t want to add these to ScholarWorks@UMBC.
- If the item is an obituary, it's out of scope. We don’t want to add obituaries to ScholarWorks unless the subject is affiliated with UMBC.
- If the item is a patent application, it's out of scope. We don’t add these to ScholarWorks@UMBC.
- If the item is just an abstract with no full text document, it's out-of-score. Do not add it to the spreasdsheet.
- If the item is just description of grant funded project, it's out of scope. We don’t add thse to ScholarWorks@UMBC.
About UMBC or an Author Affiliated with UMBC
- There must be a UMBC author or alternately, the item must be about UMBC, a UMBC department, or person affiliated with UMBC. Often, the authors’ affiliation is included on the item. If not, use the UMBC directory, here, http://www.umbc.edu/search/directory// to determine. If there is no UMBC author, and the subject is not UMBC, a UMBC department, or person, it's out of scope–cross it off on the print-out.
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Notations on the Printout
- When the item is out-of-scope, cross it off
- When an item is available for free on the web, write "free" next to it.
- When an item is on a Creative Commons License, write "CC license" next to it.
- When an item is a U.S. Federal Government Publication, note "fed gov doc" next to it.
- When the item is in ArXiv, note "arxiv" next to it.
- If the item was published more than 20 years ago, write "20+ years" next to it.
- When both a file and link can be added, note "SS" on the item.
- When only a link can be added, note "SS-link only" on the item.
- When we can't find a version we can post, note what versions we can post, and Michelle will contact the author to ask for a version we can post.
Determining if an Item is Available for Free on the Web
- 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.
Creative Commons License
- If the item is available for free, see if there is a creative commons license on the work itself or on its record. If there is, the item can be added with both the publisher's file and a link to it. Add on the same Creative Commons license that it was published on. Note "cc license" on the print-out and skip down to "Determine which collections to add an item to."
Open Access
- If the item is available for free, see if the work itself or it's record says "Open Access." If it does, 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–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."
U.S. Federal Government Publication
- If the publisher is the United States Government or an agency of the federal government, or if an author is an employee of the U.S. Federal Government and did the work as part of their official job duties, the work can be added on a Creative Commons Public Domain license. Note "Fed Gov Doc" on the print-out, and skip to "Determine which collections to add an item to."
ArXiv
- If an item is in ArXiv, note "ArXiv" on the printout next to that item.
- Be aware ArXiv is not a publisher, and items in it have not been published. Because of that, if the item is in ArXiv, we only need the UMBC author(s) permission to add the item to ScholarWorks@UMBC.
- If you're working on a list of items that a faculty member asked us to load, we already have their permission to load and don't need to ask--both a file and a link to the file in ArXiv can be included. Skip to "Determine which collections to add an item to."
- If we need to ask the author, Michelle will do this when she gets the printout back from you. Without the authors permission, only a link to the document in ArXiv can be included.
Published Works
Check rights to determine if we can add files, links, or both
- 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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Terms
- Preprint or submitted version–the version the author originally submitted to the publisher. Usually, but not always, a Word file. If we can post this version, you should do a web search to try to find this version. It won't have a copyright statement, a publisher's logo, or page numbering that begins with a number larger than 1. In case of doubt, compare the possible pre-print to the publisher's final published version.
- Postprint or accepted version–the version the author submitted to the publisher after making changes based on peer reviewer comments. Also usually, but not always a Word file. If we can post this version, you should do a web search to try to find this version. It won't have a copyright statement, a publisher's logo, or page numbering that begins with a number larger than 1. In case of doubt, compare the possible pre-print to the publisher's final published version.
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- Publishers proof–a version after the publisher has layed out the article for publication. If they allow their version, it should be the final version. A proof isn't a pre-print or post-print. We don't accept these unless the publisher explicitly states that they can be posted.
- Final Published Version–the version of the article in the publisher's database or on their website.
Items more than 20 years old
- If it's available for free on the web, add with a link only, and write "20+ years" next to it. Otherwise, cross it off the list.
Policies on File
- Check the policies on file document, here: Policies on File, for the publisher.
- Determine what version or versions of the article that we can post. Then determine if the version you have is a version we can post. Note that this is usually not stated, but you have to figure it out.
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It may be simple to figure out that an item isn't the published version, but no way to tell if it's a preprint or postprint--if you can't determine if you have a preprint or postprint, assume that it's a preprint:
- If you don't have a version we can post, search the web for the title, and go through everything you find to try to find the version that we can post.
- When you can't find a version we can post, note what versions we can post on the printout, and move on to the next item. Michelle will contact the author to ask for a version we can post.
- When you do find a version we can post, note if there are terms from the Policies on File list, like a required statement or embargo period. If so, you'll need that information when filling in the spreadsheet, so keep the Policies on File document open in another window or tab.
You still don't know how to handle:
- See if you can find a current policy on self-archiving by searching by journal name in Scherpa/Romeo, here: http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/index.php. If the publisher allows their version to be included, you can go ahead and add the item to the spreadsheet, and be sure to abide by their terms. If the publisher only a allows a pre- or post- print to be included, if you can't find the file, ask the author for it. If you're emailed the author for a file, note that on the list you're working from.
- If you still don't know the journal's policy, check the journal and publisher websites for a policy.
- If the item is available for free online, and you don't have a version you can post, or you can't make a determination if an item can be posted or not, add the item with only a link to the free version online. Do not link to versions that can't be lawfully posted.
- If you don't know the journal's policy, and you can't link to the item, assume that only a pre-print can be added.
The Remaining procedures should be done for items that you've been trained to handle that we'll be adding. For other items, skip these steps.
Determining which collections to add an item to
- Check the work itself for departmental affiliations and any info about the status of each author. Write abbreviations for all collections next to the work. If a person has multiple affiliations, write the abbreviation for the collections of all affiliations.
If there are authors with an unknown department or status, check the UMBC directory. Write the abbreviations for any additional collections next to the work. If a person is not in the UMBC directory, they are no longer with UMBC, so no mapping will be done for that person beyond what could be determined from the work itself.
- If there are authors found in the directory but there is either no department or status given, check the web pages of the departments, or the departments of other authors for that person to find their department and status. Anyone who is in the directory but not given on a departmental website can be assumed to be a student.
If any of the author's job titles includes the word graduate, it's a graduate student, and the item should be included in the student collection.
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- Other job titles indicate staff, and if any item includes a staff member author, the item should be mapped to the staff collection.
Filling in the Spreadsheet
- Use the Excel submissions template, attached here.
- In the title column, add the title.
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