Getting Started with cIRcle

Why use cIRcle?

cIRcle enhances the global reach of UBC research by providing open access under Creative Commons share and re-use terms. The institutional repository plays a key role in supporting UBC researcher compliance with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications in concert with UBC Library supports detailed in the Scholarly Communications Tri-Agency Open Access Policy page.

Depositing in cIRcle offers provides three major benefits:

Simple

• We will work with you to get your materials submitted and help make them easily findable.

Visible

• Researchers around the world can easily find your work via popular search engines such as Google, Google Scholar and OAIster. Theses and dissertations are additionally harvested by Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD), and Library and Archives Canada Theses Portal. Use the Open Collections API to easily display your content on your own web page or database!

Permanent

• We strive to preserve access to your work for future generations. Our persistent links won't change every time there's a webpage redesign so you can add cIRcle URI to your webpage, CV, and social media without worrying about broken links.

cIRcle content is accessible via UBC Library’s Open Collections (OC), which brings together locally created and managed content from UBC Library's open access repositories. cIRcle currently uses DSpace (v. 5.1) open-source repository software to process and hold digital objects. The DSpace community receives leadership and guidance from LYRASIS

cIRcle Service Offerings

cIRcle is committed to showcasing and preserving UBC’s unique intellectual output by making published and unpublished research material openly available. In order to meet the diverse needs of UBC's community and outputs, cIRcle offers the following core services:

• Mediated Deposit and Self-Deposit Support
  • Assistance with uploading content created by the UBC community (faculty, researchers, students, partners).
    • Including file upload & description, metadata creation, and e-mail notification of your persistent URL.
• Permissions
  • Provide guidance and recommendations for checking permissions for published materials (e.g. journal articles) and copyright for unpublished materials (e.g. presentations).
  • Manage receipt of the cIRcle Non-exclusive Distribution License and other applicable licenses for items in cIRcle.
• Metadata Quality
  • Apply detailed standards and workflows to promote and support consistency, accuracy, and discoverability.
  • Perform ongoing metadata enhancements to align with current developments in technology, policy, and best practices.

• Digital Preservation
  • Assign persistent links (URI and DOI) to all items in cIRcle.
  • Migrate files to newer formats (where possible) so they remain readable over the long term.
  • Ensure preservation of repository content through Archivematica, our digital preservation software.
• Training & Support
  • Consultations for large-scale project workflows, including:
    • Metadata creation in adherence to the cIRcle Metadata Manual.
    • Metadata architecture.
    • Permissions support and license receipt coordination.
    • Content delivery workflow design.
    • Workflow design and support for retrospective projects (e.g. depositing content more than 2 years old).
  • Guidance and assistance on identifying and retrieving materials via Open Collections, UBC Library's multi-repository discovery portal.
  • In-person training sessions for UBC Library employees who wish to establish submission workflows for their associated faculties (by request).
• Usage Statistics
  • Track view and download statistics via Open Collections and Google Analytics.

• Large deposits
  • cIRcle welcomes content and project proposals from the UBC community. To manage projects, we invite those interested in submitting large batches of content (i.e. more than 10) or material that falls outside of our cIRcle Content Guidelines to complete a Content Proposal Form. This form is used for large batches of content that typically require a consult with the cIRcle office regarding permissions and metadata requirements before content can be uploaded to the repository. In order for content to be properly assessed, the form must be filled out by the project sponsor or supervisor. You can review this form before submitting to learn more about some of the questions we typically ask our contributors.

Submitter Responsibilities

cIRcle facilitates the deposit of content that fits within our Content Guidelines. Content submitters are responsible for the following:

• Providing descriptive information (e.g. title, author(s), date, etc.) for materials that are non-textual, not in English, or in large batches.
  • If descriptive information is not present on the item or in a language other than English, information must be provided by the submitter or be available at another source (e.g. on a separate website).
  • For large batches of content, information should be provided in a separate spreadsheet. Please contact cIRcle for information on how to format this information and to receive training in metadata creation. The point at which a batch of content becomes too large for cIRcle to perform description will depend on the complexity of the content and will be determined by the cIRcle Office once the content can be assessed.
• Ensuring digital objects are in a state ready for upload (i.e. rotating, redacting, creating PDFs from web-pages, digitizing analogue materials, converting items for upload, etc).
• Liaising with publishers to determine permissions for previously published content (cIRcle may be able to help with checking publisher websites for relevant policy).
• Enforcing program/course requirements for student deposit to cIRcle or for providing students with incentives to deposit into cIRcle.

• Pursuing licenses for projects aiming to deposit large amounts of retrospective works. cIRcle can provide workflow recommendations for obtaining licenses for old content (e.g. more than 2 years old).
• Instructions are available in the API Documentation for those submitters who would like to build separate websites or repositories that harvest from cIRcle using the Open Collections API. The cIRcle Office can offer consultations on metadata implementation and provide recommendations for how to make your materials more discoverable via the API.