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Repository Policy

Introduction

The University of Brighton Repository (UBR) provides a digital collection of research and enterprise outputs of University staff. This enables the systematic dissemination of academic work, with a managed approach to outputs. The repository offers University staff a greater chance to increase the impact of their work, promote the work and esteem of staff members amongst the wider academic community as well as contributing to global initiatives. All staff are encouraged to upload outputs as research has shown that work included in open access repositories improves citation rates as well as individual professional profiles. The repository is a collective undertaking that provides a central archive for outputs.

  1. What content can be included in the Repository?
  2. Adding material
  3. Use of material
  4. Standard considerations
    1. Copyright
    2. Format
    3. Collaborative Work
  5. Approval process for uploading material
  6. Removing content
  7. Preservation
  8. Roles and responsibilities

1. What content can be included in the Repository?

It is expected that all published outputs and non-text-based outputs will be made available via the UBR. Data will be held in either the open access or the restricted area of the repository, depending on licensing restrictions.

Standard documents could include electronic versions of:

  • Articles published in peer-reviewed journals
  • Articles published in edited journals
  • Edited conference proceedings
  • Edited working paper series
  • Published monographs and book chapters
  • PhD theses registered with the University, unless permission is withheld for commercial reasons.

In addition outputs may include electronic versions of non-print outputs:

  • new materials, devices, images, artefacts, products and buildings, confidential or technical reports; intellectual property, whether in patents or other forms; performances, exhibits or events; work published in non-print media.

Where deposited material has multiple authors:

  • At least one author must be a member of the University of Brighton
  • The submitting author must seek the permission of co-authors

2. Adding material

As a minimum, bibliographic data should be added for all outputs and, where publishers’ permissions allow, a PDF of the full text of the output should also be uploaded. This should be done at the earliest possible opportunity. Items should be flagged with their publication status and full-text items will be made open access when any related publisher embargos are lifted. This is a standard route for textual outputs only. Non-textual outputs should note the date the publication was made public.

All metadata should be in English but full-text items can be uploaded in other languages, as long as an English abstract is made available.

Any University of Brighton member of administrative staff, academic or postgraduate research student can add material to the repository but it is expected that practices will vary by School/Faculty.

3. Use of material

The metadata may be re-used in any medium without prior permission for not-for-profit purposes. The deposited records and outputs may also be used for:

  • Internal review of research performance
  • Modelling profiles and submitting information for external review e.g. the Research Excellence Framework

4. Standard considerations

Quality standards will be applied to indexing data to allow the repository to be cross-searchable nationally and internationally.

  • Copyright

    • Content will be made openly accessible in line with publishers’ permissions. Copyright advice relating to the uploading of materials will be offered by Information Services.

  • Format

    • The preferred textual format is PDF. All documents will be administered to follow standard cataloguing conventions and will be reviewed to check for consistency and standardization. The repository will also accept a wide range of non-textual materials including multimedia. Formats should meet disability guidelines.

  • Collaborative Work

    • Must be correctly attributed

5. Approval process for uploading material

The following approval process will apply:

UPLOADING

Material uploaded by any member of staff.

↓

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Academic quality assurance checked within the School by the Research Leader.

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APPROVAL

Information Services to edit/approve metadata, check resource for copyright/licensing compliance and against university policy guidance.

6. Removing content

Removal from public view will be allowed, if requested by the author, the institution or a third party, in certain circumstances, e.g.

  • to comply with journal publisher rules
  • where defamatory or where confidential material has accidentally been disclosed
  • where the author has replaced the output with an updated version (editing currently not possible)
  • where the content has been upheld by the wider research community as plagiaristic, or where the research has been falsified
  • where the content does not conform to existing legislation

If there is proof of copyright violation then the work in question will immediately be removed. Withdrawn items are not deleted entirely, but are removed from public view.

For further information please see the University's Procedure for Investigating and Resolving Allegations of Misconduct in Research

7. Preservation

Items will be retained indefinitely. The University of Brighton is committed to provide persistent access to content in the Repository, but this applies only to material housed on servers maintained directly or under contract by the University. Links and access to content of any format referenced outside the Repository cannot be guaranteed. Those in charge of administering the repository will try to ensure continued readability and accessibility.

8. Roles and responsibilities

All deposits will be assessed to ensure that they are within the scope of the repository and every effort will be made to validate published works although members of university staff have different roles and responsibilities in this process. These responsibilities are outlined below:

THE RESEARCH OFFICE is responsible for the repository policy and will deal with issues that relate to the governance of these regulations.

THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY is responsible for the authenticity of deposits. Authors of outputs have a responsibility to ensure that their work is correctly represented on the University repository.

RESEARCH LEADERS in Schools/Faculties are responsible for ensuring that outputs uploaded to the repository are of an appropriate standard and is in-line with the current UBR policy. They will work closely with FACULTY/SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS to ensure the data are consistent and that entries have been proof read before submission. It is recognised that precise practice will vary by Faculty/School.

INFORMATION SERVICES is responsible for the management and maintenance of the UBR system. They will also undertake a final quality check on all meta data. Information Services should be contacted for any issues involving cataloguing and system maintenance.