SPARC

Won’t it be easier to plagiarize if the material is freely accessible?

No. actually, plagiarism is far easier to detect if the original, date-stamped material is openly accessible to all, and can more easily be compared with a potential infraction.

Are materials in digital repositories peer-reviewed?

The repository does not perform peer review, but collects peer-reviewed publications such as journal articles and conference proceedings. Most publishers allow this. Work with your librarian or publisher to determine which version of your work may be deposited. Of course, repositories also offer access to other types of materials, including data and other content that are not traditionally peer-reviewed.

Will I be giving up ownership of my work if I deposit in a digital repository?

No. authors retain the rights to their work when depositing in a digital repository. In depositing in a repository, you are simply allowing the repository to provide access to your work, but you are not required to give up any of the copyrights to your work.

Is there a permanent way to cite work in the repository in my CV?

Yes. Once deposited, there will be a permanent Web address assigned to your work, which you can link to from your CV.

What can be posted? Who decides?

Digital repositories collect scholarly works of all types that have enduring value. contact your library for guidelines specific to your institution. Departments can also work with the library to set their own content guidelines if they wish.

Why is depositing in a digital repository better than posting on my department or personal Web site?

There are many reasons, for instance:

• It’s much easier to interact with the digital repository than with the campus Web servers.
• Digital repositories ensure long-term accessibility. Items deposited in the repository are given a “reference urL” that will never change.
• Digital repositories are indexed by all the major search engines. How else will people find my works in the digital repository?

Links to the digital repository will be available on your library’s Web site and may be added on department and personal Web pages. The institution-based repositories in canada are also indexed by a specialized “harvester” (http://carl-abrc-oai.lib.sfu.ca) maintained by Simon Fraser university that brings together all the content from Canadian repositories and makes it available through a single collection.

Why do we need a digital repository when we have journals?

Repositories are designed to supplement rather than replace journals. Many institutions and researchers can’t afford the cost of journal subscriptions and don’t have access to the research they need. repositories enable all researchers, regardless of what institution they are affiliated with, to access your work. and, repositories accommodate a wider range of materials than just published articles — for example, images, working papers, and presentations.

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