Frequently Asked Questions


How does the Research Repository @ WVU differ from Digital Measures?

While Digital Measures if used for internal review, evaluation, and productivity measuring, the Research Repository is a platform for disseminating your research to the wider scholarly community, as well as the general public. The Libraries are investigating the possibility of implementing an integration with Digital Measures to reduce administrative burden on Faculty, and hope to offer this as a further service in the future.

{ top }

I already have my papers up on ResearchGate/Academia.edu/my website. Why should I use the Research Repository?

Academic networking sites like ResearchGate and Academia.edu are useful tools for networking and sharing your research. However, you should be aware that these are commercial ventures with the aim of generating a profit from the data with which you provide them. Moreover, this services do not offer local support. The Research Repository is managed by the WVU Libraries and committed to the long term preservation and dissemination of your work. We provide full copyright and metadata assistance to make your work more discoverable, and to help you share your scholarship within the confines of U.S. copyright law.

{ top }

Can I put all of my papers in the Research Repository?

While that is our goal, we are limited by publisher policies. Some will allow us to deposit the final published version, but others will only allow us to deposit a pre-final version, such as a preprint or Author's Accepted Manuscript. In order to maximize the amount of your work that you can put in the Research Repository, we recommend saving preprints and Accepted Manuscripts for all of your publications.

{ top }

What is a preprint/Author's Accepted Manuscript/Publisher's version?

These are the three main versions of published scholarly articles. They can be defined as follows:

  • Preprint: The version of a paper that is initially submitted to a journal. Pre-peer review and refereeing. Often a Word document.
  • Author's Accepted Manuscript: This is the final version submitted for publication after peer review has been conducted and revisions have been made, but prior to the publisher's typesetting and formatting. Sometimes called an Author's Final Version or a postprint.
  • Publishers' Version: The final version of the article that appears on the publisher's website. Features the publisher's page layout and branding. Sometimes called the final version or the version of record.

For more information on different versions of articles, see our Copyright and Publisher Policies guide.

{ top }

How do I know which version I can deposit?

This information should be included in your publication agreements. Sometimes, it can be found under a section labeled "self-archiving policies." You can also look up journals and publishers in the Sherpa/RoMEO database, Penn Libraries' Publisher Policy Database, or on the publisher or journal website. You can also contact, Research Repository, Institutional Repository Email, or your subject liaison for assistance.

{ top }

How does uploading my work to the Research Repository impact my intellectual property rights?

To upload your work, you must grant WVU a non-exclusive license to reproduce and distribute your work. This does not affect the copyright status of the work, or your ability to distribute your work elsewhere or to reuse it in future projects.

{ top }