Frequently Asked Questions


What is the difference between Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC (SCW@DUNC) and Archives & Special Collections @ Digital UNC (ASC@DUNC)?

SCW@DUNC showcases the scholarship, research, and creative works of the UNC community, reflecting the intellectual environment of the campus and supporting the academic mission of the institution. ASC@DUNC encompasses an array of unique primary source materials housed within the University Archival Services Department; these documents reflect the history of both the institution and the wider world.

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What types of content can I submit to SCW@DUNC?

SCW@DUNC accepts a wide variety of content, including:

  • Research materials and creative works by faculty and staff such as journal articles, data sets, gray literature, and conference proceedings.
  • Open access journals produced or edited by UNC faculty, staff, or students.
  • Original faculty-sponsored student research and creative works.

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    How do I submit material to SCW@DUNC?

    Click on “Submit Research” in the left-hand sidebar and select the collection you would like to submit to. You will be prompted to log in with an existing account or create a new account. Once you have logged in, complete the required metadata fields as well as any optional fields you would like to provide. Upload your file and submit. Depending on the size of the file, it may take some time to process. Your submission will be reviewed and approved by an administrator and you will receive a notification when it has been posted to the repository.

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    Can students submit their work to SCW@DUNC?

    Graduate student dissertations are automatically added to the repository, and theses, capstones, and action research reports may optionally be submitted through the Graduate School. Other student work is accepted as long as it is accompanied by a student research sponsor form signed by a faculty member.

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    How can I find out more about starting a new collection or hosting a journal in SCW@DUNC?

    If you would like to propose the creation of a new collection or journal, complete the Project Proposal Form and send via email or campus mail to Jane Monson, Digital Initiatives Librarian, at jane.monson@unco.edu (Campus Box 48). You will be contacted once the proposal is reviewed and/or if additional information is needed.

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    Can I post a reprint from a journal?

    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, you're welcome to do so. Permissions for many publishers can be found at SHERPA RoMEO. For assistance with copyright questions, contact repository administrator Jane Monson at jane.monson@unco.edu.

    Please note that the repository administrator cannot respond to or grant user requests for tools, surveys, or other materials used in research conducted by faculty or students whose work is posted in the repository.

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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. You will be prompted to submit Associated Files when you upload your submissions. The name of the files you upload 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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    I don’t have electronic versions of old working papers that I’d like to include in the repository. Is it okay to scan the printed page to a PDF file?

    Yes--scanning printed pages is a great way to create PDF files for inclusion in the repository. There are two ways to scan a page: using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) or scanning the page as an image. Making OCR scans requires careful proofreading and loses the original formatting of the documents. Image scans cannot be searched. The best solution takes advantage of both of these methods. Many software applications allow for the OCR capture of image scans. When documents are scanned this way, users see the image scan but search the full-text of the document. This is the preferred method for scanning documents for the repository.

    Can I get permission from an author to reuse their survey/research instrument in my own research?

    The repository administrator is not able to grant requests for permission to use or reproduce tools, surveys, questionnaires, or other instruments created by students or faculty whose work is posted in the repository. The administrator is also not able to provide personal information, such as email addresses, for student authors of theses, dissertations, or scholarly projects.

    If you are seeking permission to reuse materials created by a former student, it is your responsibility to locate and contact them. If you are seeking permission to use a survey, instrument, or test created by a non-UNC source, the Surveys, Instruments and Tests research guide may provide useful information.

    If you are only using a limited portion of an instrument, your use may be covered under the Fair Use Doctrine. See more at the University of New Mexico’s Fair Use Analysis Tool.

    For more information on getting permission to use and reproduce research instruments, see Permissions to Use and Reproduce Instruments in a Thesis/Dissertation

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