Digital Repository Frequently Asked Questions

How do I request a collection be preserved / digitized?

See our Submissions Information page for step-by-step procedures on submitting collections for review.

Who can contribute items to UCO repositories?

Faculty (current or retired), staff, students, and departments associated with UCO may contribute to UCO Repositories.

What happens to contributions once they are in an UCO repository?

• Metadata is applied to make the work discoverable in search engines.
• The work is preserved and given a permanent URL that can be shared.
• Download counts and other statistics can be provided to demonstrate how often a work is accessed and downloaded.
• Contributions are shared world wide!

What types of materials can be contributed?

You may contribute scholarly, creative, and/or research-related works that you would like to share with the world. Examples of appropriate materials include scholarly publications (including pre-prints), theses and dissertations, presentations/posters, UCO campus publications, research data, open educational resources, and archival collections.

What file formats can be deposited?

The following file formats are recommended for deposit:

• .pdf
• .doc; .docx; .ppt; .pptx
• .jpeg and .png
• .zip files (recommended for video, audio, or research data)

*SHAREOK is primarily a document repository and has limitations with video and audio. Multimedia files do not stream and will require downloading. Please be advised that anyone who downloads the file may be able to make edits.

Do UCO repositories support embargoes/delayed publication?

Yes, if needed, we can support embargoes/delayed publication for both published articles and for theses and dissertations. If you are a graduate student and need to embargo your thesis or dissertation, speak to your adviser for more information.

What happens if I leave UCO?

Your work will continue to reside in the UCO repository.

Can materials be withdrawn from an UCO repository?

The repository is meant to be a permanent scholarly record once a paper is deposited. Removing content is discouraged; however, content may be removed under certain circumstances. Reasons for removal may include copyright infringement, plagiarism, or falsification of data.

Updated versions of content may be posted, and can be linked to the first posted version.  Earlier versions may be removed at the author(s) request. Regardless of an author’s continued affiliation with the university, their material will remain in a repository. At their request, new contact information can be added to their files.

All such transactions will be traced in the form of a note within the UCO repository and withdrawal requests must be made to diwg@uco.edu.

UCO repository materials infringe on my copyright. What do I do?

Take-Down Policy
Chambers Library endeavors to ensure all digital resources ingested and made accessible have the appropriate copyright permissions. Individuals or organizations who feel that their copyright may be infringed can email diwg@uco.edu for resolution.

Who owns the copyright? Doesn't copyright prevent posting published materials?

You own the copyright unless part of the work has been previously published and copyright was transferred to the publisher. Publisher's may allow authors to upload pre-prints to institutional repository's or published articles after a certain embargo period. Please check your author rights with each publisher for more information.

Authors of uploaded works sign a Distribution License Agreement to grant UCO license to use their work; however, UCO is not the copyright holder of the work. This means that copyright is retained by either the author or the publisher of the work, and use of the work must qualify as Fair Use under U.S. Copyright law. In the case of co-authors, all authors must sign the Distribution License Agreement for inclusion in an UCO repository.

You, the author or copyright owner, retain the copyright to the submitted work and do not give up the right to submit the work to publishers or other repositories. UCO Chambers Library will clearly identify your name(s) as the author(s) or owner(s) of the submission, including a statement of your copyright, and will not make any alteration, other than as allowed by the Distribution License Agreement, to your submission.

What about works produced by multiple contributors at multiple institutions?

You should seek permission from co-authors to add materials to SHAREOK. All authors of uploaded works must sign a Distribution License Agreement to grant UCO license to use their work in SHAREOK; however, SHAREOK is not the copyright holder of the work. This means that copyright is retained by either the author or the publisher of the work, and use of the work must qualify as Fair Use under U.S. Copyright law.

Who can access SHAREOK?

Everything in SHAREOK is open access and can be freely accessed by anyone with an internet connection.

How can I obtain information about how often my work is accessed or downloaded?

Access statistics can be found at the bottom left column of each work's page. Click on the "View Usage Statistics" button to see statistics on total visits, total visits per month, file visits, top country views, and top cities views.

More Questions?

Contact the Digital Initiatives Working Group at diwg@uco.edu for answers to additional questions.