Frequently Asked Questions


Who can submit content to the DigitalCommons@Butler?

Individuals affiliated with any Butler University, college, department, program, or other campus unit can contribute content. If you have something you would like to submit please contact Marcy Wilhelm-South, at (9549). She will be happy to assist you.

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What materials can be contributed?

The work should be scholarly in nature, related to your profession, have previously gone through some type of independent vetting process (e.g. peer review, submitted to a publication with an editor, etc.), and may include:

  • Journal articles, essays, or reviews
  • Magazine articles
  • Contributions to books
  • Conference proceedings and papers
  • Technical reports and campus publications
  • Research reports from grant-funded projects with Open Access requirements
  • Creative works that were previously published (e.g. scores, poems, plays, etc.)

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What file formats are acceptable?

Files in PDF or MS Word formats are encouraged. Please note that SelectedWorks also accommodates other formats including direct linking. If a PDF is not available, your work exists only in print format, you gave up your distribution rights, or you have any other questions the library will assist you.

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What rights do I grant the University when I deposit my work in the DigitalCommons@Butler University?

Individual authors retain their copyright, but are asked to complete a Non-Exclusive Licensing Agreement for materials deposited. Requests for commercial use of materials found in the DigitalCommons@Butler University will be referred back to the author.

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My work has been published in a journal and I don’t know if I still own copyright to my work. Can I still deposit my work?

This will depend on the post-print policy of the publisher. Some publishers allow you to post any version of a paper on your personal site; others only allow certain versions, or do not allow any posting after publication. Upon acceptance most journals require the author to sign a consent form. Butler University Libraries will need a copy of your consent form that allows you to redistribute your article. If the consent form prohibits redistribution or is unclear you will need to contact the publisher and obtain proof of permissions. For sample text that you can use when contacting publishers to obtain permissions, please see this link.

You can also use the following resources to investigate copyright:

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What do I have to do to deposit my work?

For Butler University faculty and staff the first step is to contact Marcy Wilhelm-South at ().

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I don’t have time to digitize or locate all my publications. Can the library to deposit my work on my behalf?

The library would be happy to help you deposit your work. Individual contributions and requests for Selected Works pages are handled on a first-come first-served basis. For help with this please contact Marcy Wilhelm-South at: (9549).

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Can I withdraw a deposit?

DigitalCommons is designed to provide long-term, persistent access to deposited materials. However, situations may develop that require the removal of materials. When this happens please contact Marcy Wilhelm-South at: (9549).

Please note that items within DigitalCommons may have been cited via a persistent URL. Removal of the item will not remove the persistent URL. Links to this URL will contain metadata with a message that the item was removed. The metadata will be visible to those who already have its persistent URL, but your deposit and its metadata will no longer be searchable and the items will no longer be available by services such as Google.

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How do I get a SelectedWorks page on the Digital Commons site?

SelectedWorks pages are created for faculty and staff who contribute their authored works to the DigitalCommons. You can view Butler’s SelectedWork’s Gallery here: http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/sw_gallery.html

To set up your SelectedWorks Gallery please contact Marcy Wilhelm-South at

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Why should I contribute my work?

The DigitalCommons@Butler University makes faculty scholarship available in one central place online, enabling greater access to colleagues, students and new audiences. Because every item is assigned a unique, persistent URL, users can cite faculty work freely without worry or inconvenience of broken links. Finally, integrated features including RSS feeds and "Tell a colleague" email notifications allow users to easily share new work with others.

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What are the benefits of contributing my work?

Benefits include:

  • Visibility of your work in a centralized location means more of your peers can find and cite your work (via searches in Google Scholar and other federated search engines), providing you with a wider audience.
  • Inclusion of your work in the full range of research conducted at Butler University provides you with institutional recognition.
  • Retain control of intellectual property rights to your work by granting a non-exclusive license to the DigitalCommons@Butler University.
  • Context for your work, placing you side-by-side with the scholarly and creative contributions of your colleagues.
  • Create a digital archive of more of your work, including CVs and previously unpublished work, such as conference presentations and white papers.
  • Continuity so that your work is assured a stable online location that can be cited now and in the future.
  • Complements existing print and electronic sources in your field.

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Where can I learn more about Institutional Repositories?

The Association of Research Libraries has good information about Institutional Repositories and Digital Scholarship. The following paper, "The Case for Institutional Repositories: A SPARC Position Paper" by Raym Crow, discusses Institutional Repositories and argues their advantages within an academic institution. Finally, Charles Bailey's Digital Scholarship site has a plethora of information on this topic.

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Who can I contact for questions and assistance?

The Butler University Library can assist with any additional questions that are not answered in the FAQ. For questions please contact Marcy Wilhelm-South at . See also: http://libguides.butler.edu/digitalcommons.

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