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Open Access padlockePrints

About Open Access

What is ePrints?

ePrints is the Institutional Repository (IR) for Newcastle University. It is an open access database of online articles and papers showcasing research carried out by staff at Newcastle.

What is open access?

Publishing your work in an open access repository means that your research is freely available to anyone in the world to view over the Internet. Therefore open access materials can reach a far greater audience than those published in subscription journals only or behind paywalls.

If you are interested in reading more about open access please take a look at our Open Access website.

What are the benefits of depositing my work in ePrints?

Who can deposit?

Any member of University staff can deposit their research output in ePrints. This also applies to any works you have co-authored with colleagues from other institutions, and to works you produced before you came to Newcastle. Library staff will ensure compliance with publisher policies before any work is made available.

Works which can be deposited include articles, reports, book chapters and conference papers. Most journal publishers allow work to be deposited in IRs but their policies can vary, for example use of pre or post print, and some papers are subjected to an embargo period. The Library will check which version is allowed and ensure it is not made available before any embargo period has passed.

How do I deposit?

You can upload your work (preferably not the final publisher version but your own final author version) into ePrints via MyImpact. If you are unsure which version to upload you can contact us at eprints-admin@ncl.ac.uk for advice (you can also email the file to the same address if you are not sure how to upload your file in MyImpact). The files are then checked by Library Staff for copyright compliance and embargo periods before appearing in the ePrint repository. Library staff will check these files as soon as possible; however if there is a delay in the files becoming available this may be because we are checking copyright with the publishers, the article is subject to an embargo period, or the file is still in the 'Submitted' or 'In press' stage of the publication process. You can check the status of your file in MyImpact or by contacting the Library ePrints team - eprints-admin@ncl.ac.uk.

What about copyright?

It is only possible for us to include papers where you as the author retain copyright, where the publisher copyright agreement you signed permits deposit in an institutional repository, or where permission has subsequently been gained from the publisher. Publishers vary enormously in their approach to authors rights. In many cases publishers will allow deposit, but they may not permit you to use the final PDF version as was published in the journal.

It is good practice to be aware of the copyright contract you agree to when publishing articles etc. Commonly agreements will be either Copyright Transfer Agreement or an Exclusive Licence Agreement. Signing either of these does not necessarily mean the author does not have the right to deposit a paper in a repository. Some publishers offer a Licence to Publish - which may offer the author the opportunity of retaining more rights than the Copyright Transfer Authority.

The Library will check the copyright permissions on your behalf when your papers are uploaded via the MyImpact system. If necessary, we will make sure any embargoes or restrictions are in place, and liaise with publishers on your behalf.

Who can I contact with queries and for help?

The ePrints Team can be contacted at eprints-admin@ncl.ac.uk.