Self archiving
The Stellenbosch University institutional
Policy on Mandatory Self-archiving of Research Output was officially approved by SU Council on 1 December 2014.
FAQs?
What does the policy require?The policy requires that full-text copies of published journal articles or conference proceedings of authors with a formal affiliation with SU are hosted in
SUNScholar (institutional repository).
What should I submit to the institutional repository?
- Full-text (PDF format) of published journal article (publisher's version) in compliance with the policy of the publisher.
- Full-text (PDF format) of post-print (final peer-reviewed manuscript with the incorporation of revisions) in compliance with the policy of the publisher.
- Full-text (PDF format) of peer-reviewed conference paper in compliance with the policy of the publisher.
How do I submit?
- Contact your
Faculty Librarian who will able to submit on your behalf, or,
- Submit your research output yourself by sending an e-mail to
scholar@sun.ac.za requesting to register as a submitter or following the steps set out on our
help page.
- One individual may also submit on behalf of a department after they have been registered and have all the necessary information to complete the citation.
Where can I get assistance regarding submission of my articles?Enquiries may be directed to your
Faculty Librarian or the Digitisation and Digital Services Division.
Where can I look up a publisher or journal policy?
- Go directly to the journal or publisher website, or,
- Consult the
SHERPA RoMEO or
rchivit databases of publisher policies on archiving research papers in institutional repositories, or,
- A list of journals, in which SU researchers regularly publish in, with their respective policies regarding self-archiving can be consulted
here.
May I still place my previously published papers onto the repository?Yes, you may, provided that you still have the post-print or other applicable version of the research output in question.
In which format should I submit my paper?Only PDF formats will be hosted on an IR, as the format allows for long term preservation.
What about my copyright?
Authors are urged to retain copyright of their material of which SU is the copyright owner and encouraged to sign a "licence to publish" which will allow authors to deposit a copy of their article in SUNScholar This is usually done by adding an "author addendum" to the publisher's copyright transfer agreement. An example can be found
here.
What about embargo?Some publishers and journals require an embargo period before archived copies of articles may be opened up on and IR and provide clear instructions on the issue. Embargoes will automatically be lifted on the IR on the applicable date.
Can I negotiate beforehand that my published article will be appearing on an IR?You can inform the journal or publisher that you will be hosting a copy on your institution's repository. Please also refer to the question on copyright above.
How will a copy hosted on SUNScholar affect my research impact?
If anything it will increase your visibility on the internet and the research paper on SUNScholar will indicate the correct citation and URL link to the original publisher's website.
How does one cite from the IR?
You do not cite the IR itself, but the research paper as if it was on the original journal or publisher's website, as will be indicated on the item in SUNScholar.
Useful links
