Research > LAU Repository > Faculty Publications Guidelines > Frequently asked questions

What is a repository?

A repository is an online database used by institutions and organizations to capture, preserve and provide access to the intellectual output of a scholarly community. It gathers and disseminates a variety of scholarly materials; this includes publications in peer-reviewed journals, as well as the products of education and research not published elsewhere such as datasets, pre-prints, post-prints, syllabuses, theses and dissertations.

Can I place my paper in a repository and still publish it in a journal of my choice?

Most journal publishers now allow authors to deposit their papers in repositories. However, they differ over whether they allow this before (pre-print) or after (post-print) the paper’s publication. Some have an embargo period between publication and deposit in a repository. Some also stipulate how post-prints should be formatted. The SHERPA project website provides details of publishers’ current policies on self-archiving and copyright.

How can I be sure that placing my paper in a repository will actually make it more widely available?

Internationally agreed-upon standards for repositories ensure that they are interoperable. Metadata in a format compliant with the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) can be collected into databases of research from around the world which users can then search.

What is Open Access?

‌‌The Open Access (OA) movement is based upon the key principle that publicly funded research should be made publicly available and as widely accessible as possible. Open Access material is online and free at the point of access, without barriers such as subscription or registration. There is significant evidence to suggest that publishing your work in Open Access format leads to wider readership, increased downloads and ultimately more citations.

Can material be deposited in the institutional repository of more than one university?

The LAU Repository is not an exclusive repository. Authors may also deposit their work in other repositories as desired or required.
An item with multiple authors can be deposited by co-authors in the institutional repositories of their respective universities.

What formats are accepted?

Deposits will be accepted in any electronic format. To facilitate Open Access and long-term preservation, material deposited in a proprietary format (e.g., Microsoft Word) will be converted to a format for which readers are freely available, such as Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF). For additional information,see the MIT Libraries guidelines for evaluating file formats for long-term access.

Materials may also be submitted in the following formats:

• HTML
• Postscript
• MS PowerPoint
• MS Word
• Image: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF
• Video: MPEG, QuickTime, AVI.

How does the LAUR deal with technological obsolescence (that is, long-term access to file formats that may become dated), both in regards to archival software and software used to create/view/use these files in the first place?

While we work to adapt to the latest technological developments in file formatting, we encourage the preservation of data in open, sustainable, internationally standardized formats such as PDF and XML. If you have questions about which file formats can be maintained and preserved within the LAUR, please contact us at: archives@lau.edu.lb.

I only have printed material. Can I submit this to the LAUR?

Only electronic files can be deposited. However, a scanned copy of a printed document is acceptable.

How is this different from self-publishing on my own website/blog/etc.?

If you have a static website that is periodically updated then you know how difficult it is to keep it up-to-date. We are able to help you manage your materials in a central location, in standardized formats, and in ways that allow for more effective search and retrieval.