Frequently Asked Questions


What belongs in Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech?

The academic community is encouraged to include a broad range of material in Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech. This includes journal articles, conference materials, books, problems sets, educational materials, data, open textbooks, working papers, images, videos, audio, and more! Contact for more information on how to include your works.

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Why would I want to post my work in Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech? Are there benefits?

Depositing work into Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech increases access to it in several ways that will enhance professional visibility and impact. Making work openly accessible online in the repository may lead to wider readership, as it does not require user fees or subscription access. Items in Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech are also search engine optimized, meaning that they appear high in the search results of sites like Google. Authors receive a monthly report with download statistics, allowing them to see exactly how many readers are accessing their work. Additionally, each item in Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech is assigned a stable URL that can be used to reliably link to the work.

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Why should I put my content in Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech instead of another site, like ResearchGate.net or Academia.edu?

Authors with content in Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech are not prohibited from posting their work on other sites, and in fact are encouraged to share it in order to enhance professional visibility and impact. It is important to keep in mind that when works are deposited in Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech, each is assigned a durable URL that can be used to reliably link to the work on resumes and other websites, including personal sites or scholarly networking and sharing sites like Academia.edu and ResearchGate.net. By linking to full-text works available on Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech, readers not only have access to the entire work, but authors also see the activity represented in the monthly download reports.

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What is SelectedWorks and how does it work with Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech?

SelectedWorks is a service of the Van Pelt and Opie Library, as is Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech, the university’s digital repository. With SelectedWorks, faculty and staff authors can create author profiles that integrate directly with the repository. Authors are able to highlight the entire body of their work alongside those included in Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech. The benefits available through Digital Commons are also offered through SelectedWorks, including search engine optimization, monthly readership reports with download statistics, and stable URLs for reliably linking to works.

Faculty and staff can also take advantage of a few additional features by developing an author profile with SelectedWorks. An introductory paragraph with biographical information can be included, along with a section for expertise, a photograph, job title, and links to a current CV and external websites. Authors have complete control of their profiles and can choose to add, delete, or otherwise change the content at any time. The profiles are also completely portable. If an author moves to another institution, their SelectedWorks profile remains in the control of the individual as a free service from Bepress. Only the university branding will change, either to the default available from Bepress, or to the style available through the new institution if it is offered there.

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I’d like an author profile in SelectedWorks. What should I do?

Library staff is happy to assist faculty and staff with creating SelectedWorks profiles. Please contact for more information on how to get started.

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Is there someone I can contact to learn more about Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech?

Yes--simply email with a question or comment and library staff will be in touch.

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Can the repository host multi-part files, such as multiple chapters for a book?

Yes, all the sections can be combined together as one Microsoft Word file or PDF file.

If you feel that the one large PDF file might be too large for some people to download, the consolidated file can be provided for the full text of the article, and then separate chapters or sections of the document can be uploaded as Associated Files. These files will appear on the web page alongside the complete document. For more information about uploading associated files, see below.

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Can I post related files (sound clips, data sets, etc.) alongside the published article?

Yes. The bepress system refers to these supplementary items as Associated Files. Names of the files will appear on the web site along with your short description of it. Viewers must have the necessary software to open your files; that is not provided by the bepress system.

Please be sure that there are no permissions issues related to use of the associated material. Sometimes, especially with images, you must write a letter seeking permission to use the material before it can be posted.

Also note that where possible, items such as images, charts and tables that are referenced in the document (or otherwise an integral part of the document) should be included directly in the article itself and not posted just as associated files.

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Can reprints from journals be posted?

It depends on what the journal allows, which is usually specified in their agreement with the author. If it would not violate copyright to post the reprint on your repository site, then they can be posted. Permissions for many publishers can be found at SHERPA RoMEO. If you need additional assistance, please contact

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A working paper in our repository site has been published in a slightly revised form in a journal. What should I do?

Many journals do not have any restrictions on working papers that preceded an article, especially if substantial revisions were made. You should check your author agreement with the journal to confirm that there is no problem with leaving the working paper on the site. The repository would constitute noncommercial use.

Assuming the working paper does remain posted in the repository, it is a good idea to include the citation to the published article on the cover page of the repository working paper. Please contact to request this change.

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