OpenEmory FAQ
Frequently asked questions regarding the OpenEmory repository.
Submitting Works to OpenEmory
Who can submit works to OpenEmory?
Emory faculty, staff, and students can deposit to OpenEmory through the repository dashboard.
You may also request that library staff submit materials on your behalf. For more information, see Option 2 on our How to Submit page.
What kinds of works can I submit to OpenEmory?
We currently accept the following forms of scholarly works:
- scholarly articles
- books
- book chapters
- conference papers
- presentations
- posters
- reports
- working papers
Student-authored theses and dissertations should be deposited to Emory's Thesis and Dissertation Repository (this link goes directly to the repository). This suite of pages contains information and help on this process.
See our Deposit Advice page for additional information about determining the types of publications that can be submitted to OpenEmory.
How do I determine which version of my work the publisher will allow me to place in an open access repository?
Publishers' policies vary about which versions of a work may be placed in open access repositories. You can determine what your publisher will allow by consulting the author agreement you signed when your article was accepted for publication.
To determine which version of an article you are allowed to post in OpenEmory, you can also search the Open Policy Finder database, which contains summaries of journal publishers' policies.
For other types of works, such as book chapters or presentations, see our Deposit Advice page.
Can I submit works written with coauthors?
Yes. You can deposit works with any number of authors, even if your coauthors are not affiliated with Emory. Each joint author holds copyright in the work, and each has the authority to grant Emory the nonexclusive license necessary to post that work in OpenEmory.
However, we recommend that you consult with or at least inform your coauthors before depositing a work.
Can I submit works I wrote before OpenEmory was created?
You are welcome to deposit works written and/or published before the creation of OpenEmory, provided that, in your author agreement, you retained the right to post your work on a freely accessible website.
Can I include data, audiovisual files, or other supplemental material with my work?
OpenEmory welcomes the inclusion of links to supplemental material, both publicly accessible and restricted. The OpenEmory staff would be happy to assist you with including these links to your article in OpenEmory. Please feel free to contact us for help with this process. For additional information and help with managing research datasets, please see Research Data Management.
Can I delay access to my work in OpenEmory?
Yes. If you choose to submit a work to OpenEmory, you can also specify an embargo period. Your work will be archived in OpenEmory but not publicly accessible for the duration of the embargo period.
Can I remove material if I change my mind?
Since OpenEmory is intended as a permanent record of the university's scholarly output, removing content is strongly discouraged. We realize, however, that in some circumstances you might need to remove material. Please contact us to discuss your particular situation.
What if my work uses third-party copyrighted material (e.g., images) that I only have permission to publish in print, not in an online repository?
You cannot submit copyrighted material to OpenEmory that you only have permission to publish in print. You can either choose not to submit work with these types of permissions to OpenEmory, or you can submit the work without the copyrighted material.
What rights and permissions do I need to submit my work to OpenEmory?
To submit your work to OpenEmory, you need the right to post your work on an institutional website or in an institutional repository that is publicly accessible online.
If you work was published, the publisher may restrict which version of your work you may post: the original manuscript (aka preprint), the author's final manuscript after peer review (aka postprint), or a final published version. The publisher may also require an embargo or delay period before the work can be publicly accessible. OpenEmory accommodates all of these situations.
What if my publisher doesn't allow me to submit, or I just can't tell?
If you can't locate a publisher's policy on your author agreement, or you're not certain how to interpret the language in your author agreement, please contact us, and we'll be happy to help.
What if I routinely deposit my works in another open access repository?
Depositing in another repository, such as PubMed Central, arXiv, or SSRN, does not stop you from depositing in OpenEmory. In fact, we work with existing repositories to capture and deposit open access works authored by Emory faculty on your behalf.
Author Rights
Visit our Author Rights page for information about your rights as an author.
About Open Access
Why should I deposit my work in OpenEmory?
There are many benefits to depositing in OpenEmory.
- Works stored in OpenEmory are discoverable by Google and other search engines.
- Your colleagues and others from all over the world can read your works, even if their libraries cannot afford to subscribe to or buy it.
- OpenEmory provides a permanent link to each work you post, which you can send to colleagues and others -- more efficient than emailing a copy of the work to each person who asks for it.
- OpenEmory is hosted and backed up by Emory University Libraries, providing long-term access and preservation.
- If/when you leave Emory or retire, your scholarly work will be preserved in OpenEmory, even when your Emory faculty webpage is taken down.
How will OpenEmory affect peer review?
It won't. OpenEmory does not affect your ability to submit your works for publication. Peer review will be determined by the practices in your field and by the policies of the publisher. OpenEmory will simply store whatever version your publisher allows, after your work is accepted for publication.
How is depositing research in OpenEmory different from posting it to my personal/departmental website?
Content you post in OpenEmory will be managed by Emory University Libraries, and you will receive a permalink to any works stored in OpenEmory. You can then share links to any individual work with colleagues, coauthors, or others who may be interested in your work.
Additionally, if you leave Emory or retire, your personal/departmental webpage will be taken down. If you store your works in OpenEmory, we will preserve them and make them permanently accessible.
How will OpenEmory increase the visibility of my work?
Work deposited in OpenEmory becomes visible to people around the world via search engines such as Google and other indexing services. Posting final published versions of articles can increase your citation rates and impact. Making earlier versions of your work available allows you to establish priority and increases the visibility of your work to colleagues and others around the world.
My publisher offers an open access option, for a fee, to articles it publishes. How does this relate to OpenEmory?
If your publisher does not object to deposit in an institutional open access repository, there is no need for you to pay a separate fee to the publisher for the same level of access. If you wish to do so, of course, you are free to pay the publisher the open access fee, and some grant funders allow grant money to be used for this purpose.
How will people know what version of my work is posted in OpenEmory?
The record for each work will indicate whether it is a preprint, postprint, or a final published version. Based on feedback from faculty, Emory accepts the latest version possible under the author agreement.
Whenever possible, the record will include a link to the published version, to make clear that the published version is the preferred version, and that the Emory copy is a secondary copy for archival purposes and for readers who do not have access to the published version.