Position Statement
- The aim of the Middlesex University Research Repository is to provide a permanent record of the research output of the University and maximise the visibility, usage and impact of this research through global access.
- Following the decision of the Research and Research Degrees Committee in October 2011 Middlesex University has mandated that academic and research staff deposit all outputs resulting from their research undertaken while employed at Middlesex University in the Research Repository.
- Academic and research staff may also deposit outputs from research undertaken before they joined the University.
- Authors, or their representatives, should deposit items themselves and refer any problems to the Repository Team.
- Authors are encouraged to deposit full text copies of publications in digital form where copyright clearance has been obtained. Repository staff will check publishers’ copyright agreements to ensure that deposit is permitted. Under no circumstances will staff be required to make publications available in contravention of UK copyright law. Where publisher agreements do not permit deposit of an item into an online repository in any shape or form, a metadata record should be provided of the published work.
- The policies will be reviewed regularly to ensure they remain in line with University strategic priorities.
Submission Policy
- Items may only be deposited by academic staff, researchers and employees of Middlesex University, or their delegated agents. Where items with multiple authors are deposited, it is assumed that the depositor has obtained permission to do so from the other authors and the depositor takes responsibility for ensuring this has been done.
- The validity and authenticity of the content of submissions is the sole responsibility of the depositor.
- All deposits will be assessed to ensure that they are within the scope of the repository by the Repository Team.
- The depositor should ensure there is no risk of infringement of data protection principles by ensuring any anonymisation measures taken are sufficient. Particular care may be needed prior to depositing any datasets in the repository. If the full text of an item cannot be deposited a metadata record should be included to ensure completeness of research output.
- The depositor may be concerned about commercial confidentiality. In cases where this prevents a full text item being viewed currently, it may be possible for an item to be deposited with an ‘embargoed until date’ after which time it will be made available.
- The preferred date of deposit for published articles is the date of acceptance for publication. (Studies have shown that the earlier the deposition, the greater the usage and impact of the deposited item).
Copyright: Depositing your work in the Repository (see also Re-use policy)
Wherever possible a full text copy of published work should be added to the repository. To do this copyright permission from all relevant copyright holders (e.g. authors and publishers) is required. Permission may never be assumed, even when a published author still owns the copyright in his published work.
In the case of books or book chapters, permission must be sought from the publisher and must be given in writing. There may be a general statement on the publisher’s website and contact details for permissions enquiries which should be used to check whether full text archiving is permitted, and if it is, under what conditions. This may include an embargo for a fixed period following the publication date, and a requirement for a specifically worded acknowledgment and link to the book entry on the publisher’s website.
In the case of journal articles, the Sherpa-Romeo database gives information on publishers’ archiving policies. It is not usually necessary to obtain permission directly from the publisher. However nearly all journal publishers impose conditions on open access to full text. Many allow archiving but only for specific versions. Versions are classified as follows:
- Submitted Version (also called 'pre-print'): drafts of articles, which have been accepted for publication but are pre-refereed, i.e. do not incorporate changes recommended by peer reviewers, and have not been copy edited. Most publishers permit submitted versions to be archived without restriction.
- Author's Accepted Manuscript (AAM, also called 'post-print'): the final, peer reviewed text, which has not been typeset and copyedited, i.e. they are not the publisher’s final version. Many publishers permit the AAM to be archived, though it is usually subject to a time-limited embargo.
- Publisher’s PDF: this is the final peer-reviewed and copy edited version exactly as it appears in the journal. Publishers usually send this version to the author shortly before publication. Most publishers do not permit their PDFs to be archived.
The Sherpa-Romeo database should show you which, if any, version may be archived. Otherwise, contact the Repository Team - repository@mdx.ac.uk - for assistance. For journal articles and conference proceedings to be submitted to REF2021, it is essential that the AAM is deposited.
Any versions which are not authorised by the publisher will not be added to the repository.
More information on copyright is available here on the Middlesex University intranet from Learning and Student Support (Middlesex login required).
Copyright: Re-use policy
All items placed in the repository are protected by copyright law and unless otherwise stated on the web pages associated with the documents, the terms of use below will apply:
For information describing items in the repository:
For full text and other full data items:
- Metadata policy
- Anyone may access the metadata free of charge.
- The metadata may be re-used in any medium without prior permission for not-for-profit purposes provided the OAI Identifier or a link to the original metadata record are given.
- The metadata must not be re-used in any medium for commercial purposes without formal permission: contact us at - repository@mdx.ac.uk.
- Full text and data policy
- Copyright and moral rights to these works are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners unless otherwise stated.
- The works are supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge.
- Works, including theses and research projects, may not be reproduced in any format or medium, or extensive quotations taken from them, or their content changed in any way, without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). They may not be sold or exploited commercially in any format or medium without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.
- Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including the author’s name, the title of the work, publication details where relevant (place, publisher, date), pagination, and for theses or dissertations the awarding institution, the degree type awarded, and the date of the award.
If you believe that any material held in the repository infringes copyright law, please contact the Repository Team at Middlesex University via the following email address:
repository@mdx.ac.uk
The item will be removed from the repository while any claim is being investigated.
Take Down Policy
- The purpose of the Research Repository is to make the work of researchers and academics at Middlesex University publicly available. Its content is preserved long term and remains in its open archive indefinitely.
- Anyone with a legitimate reason to request the removal of a full text item should notify the Repository Team by email - repository@mdx.ac.uk - including the URL of the record and the reason for withdrawal request.
- Legitimate reasons would normally concern the ownership of intellectual property rights, moral rights or other legal issues. Grounds for complaint may include (but are not limited to) third-party copyright issues, unauthorised copying, breach of confidence or data protection. Requests for the removal of a full text item should include:
- Full bibliographic details of the material.
- Web site address (URL) where the material was located.
- Confirmation of intellectual property rights ownership.
- The reason for the complaint and desired action.
- Upon receipt of a complaint the following procedure will be followed:
- Every complaint will be acknowledged, the relevant full text item will be removed and an initial assessment undertaken on the day of receipt or the next working day thereafter.
- It may be necessary for the Repository Team to seek legal advice before the complaint can be fully resolved.
- If the complaint is well founded, the full text item will be permanently withdrawn from the repository. In most cases a metadata record will remain. This will be agreed on a case by case basis.
Content Policy
- It is expected that at least the metadata record (author, title, date, journal, etc.) of all forms of published output produced by academic staff and researchers will be deposited, so that the Repository has a complete record of their output. Abstracts should be added when appropriate and available.
- In addition, where possible and copyright restrictions allow, academics and researchers are required to deposit the full text of the following forms of research output:
- journal articles
- research data-sets
- papers delivered at conferences
- book chapters
- monographs or books
- artefacts
- performances
- patents
- audio visual material
- research degrees
- The following should be noted:
- Work submitted to a publisher or conference may not be placed in the repository until it has been accepted for publication or presentation. For non-text items publication may mean performance, exhibition, or other organised public display. Items accepted for publication but not yet published may be added to the repository with Status set to In Press.
- The Repository is not an appropriate place to record attendance at conferences. Papers or presentations which have been delivered at a conference will be accepted either in full text, or with a summary of the paper as appropriate.
- Teaching materials such as lecture notes and PowerPoint presentations are not hosted by the Repository.
- Taught Masters and undergraduate projects are not hosted by the Repository.
Preservation Policy
- Middlesex University has a commitment to retain items indefinitely in the Middlesex University Research Repository.
- Middlesex University Research Repository will endeavour to ensure continued readability and accessibility:
- Full text items will be migrated to new file formats where necessary. It may not be possible to guarantee the readability of some unusual file formats.
- Where possible, software emulations will be provided to access un-migrated formats.
- Middlesex University Research Repository regularly backs up its files according to current best practice.
- Changes to deposited full text items are not permitted after a final published version is deposited, but:
- Errata and corrigenda lists may be included with the original full text item if required.
- If necessary, an updated version may be deposited and the earlier version withdrawn from public view. The record in the repository will link to the latest version.
- Full text items may not normally be removed from Middlesex University Research Repository - see Withdrawal policy.
- In the event of Middlesex University Research Repository being closed down, the database will be transferred to another appropriate archive.
Middlesex University Research Repository Deposit Licence
By depositing items or asking repository staff to deposit on your behalf, you are agreeing to the terms of the Deposit licence:
- This repository supports the long-term preservation and free access to research. To undertake this role, the Repository Team needs permission to store, copy and manipulate the material in order to ensure that it can be preserved and made available in the future.
- This Deposit licence is designed to give the Repository Team the right to do this, and to confirm that the depositor has the right to submit the material to the repository. The licence is non-exclusive: ownership of all intellectual assets of the deposited full text item remains with the relevant copyright holders. Deposit in the repository has no effect on the author’s right to publish the work in its present version or future versions elsewhere.
- Your agreement to this licence confirms the following:
- You are the author, one of the authors, an agent of one of the authors, or the copyright holder of the item.
- You have authority to make this agreement giving Middlesex University Research Repository the right to publish the item in a repository.
- That each item you deposit is original and does not, to the best of your knowledge, infringe copyright or other rights of any other person or party, nor contain libellous or defamatory material.
- By agreeing to this licence, you (the author(s), copyright owner or agent), grant a non-exclusive licence to Middlesex University Research Repository to make publicly available electronic copies of the item for the lifetime of the repository or based upon an agreed time span, and translate it as necessary to ensure that it can be read by computer systems in the future.
Withdrawal Policy
Anyone may request removal of full text items from the database, but must provide acceptable reasons. These may include:
- Journal publishers' rules
- Proven copyright violation or plagiarism
- Legal requirements and proven violations
- National security
- Commercial requirements
- Falsified research
Additionally, Middlesex University Research Repository reserves the right to remove full text items at any time for any professional, administrative, commercial or legal reason.
For the procedure following receipt of a complaint e.g. of copyright breach, see the Take down policy.
Full text items removed from metadata records for any reason will be permanently deleted from the repository. Except in the case of falsified research, a metadata record will remain on the repository with a citation and abstract describing the work.
Retirement of Records
Metadata records may be retired from the live repository for administrative reasons, for example if they are superseded by a later version or are found to have been added in breach of policy, such as ineligible items. Retired records remain on the repository database, but are hidden from public view.
Disclaimer
- Middlesex University Research Repository assumes no legal responsibility for mistakes, omissions or legal infringements within the deposited items.
- The Depositor and Middlesex University Research Repository shall be under no liability for any loss or for any failure to perform any obligation hereunder due to causes beyond their control, including but not limited to industrial disputes of whatever nature, Acts of God, hostilities, force majeure or any circumstances which they could not reasonably foresee and provide against.
- While every care will be taken to preserve the item, Middlesex University Research Repository is not liable for loss or damage to the item or other data while it is stored within the repository.
Definitions and Terms
In this document the following words have the following meanings:
- "Full text item": the original work of the author and any collaborators that is described by the metadata record. It may be the full text of a written work, or an audio-visual artefact e.g. image, sound file, etc..
- "Metadata record": a database entry containing citation details and an abstract describing one or more full text items.
- "Depositor": the author or co-author of the work or their authorised agent.
- "Open access": Middlesex University Research Repository has adopted the definition of open access proposed by the Budapest Open Access Initiative, that is: "By ‘open access’ to this literature, we mean its free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself." (BOAI - text from http://www.soros.org/openaccess/read.shtml [accessed 23/07/2012]).
