Frequently Asked Questions


For general information For submission assistance For rights issues For researchers For metadata issues For SelectedWorks UCF Theses and Dissertations

For general information

What is STARS? What is Digital Commons?

STARS is UCF's digital repository to publicize, disseminate, and preserve works by, for, and about UCF. The intention is to provide access to this work as broadly as possible, and for as long as possible. Digital Commons is the product that hosts STARS and makes it possible. Digital Commons is a suite of tools and services that enables institutions to manage, display, and publish scholarship to the web in a beautiful, highly visible online showcase. As the leading hosted institutional repository (IR) platform, Digital Commons offers all of the features of a traditional IR as well as professional-grade publishing tools and our SelectedWorks™ individual scholar pages. With Digital Commons, institutions can collect, preserve, and make visible all of their intellectual output, including pre-prints, working papers, journal articles, dissertations, master's theses, conference proceedings, presentations, data sets, images, and a wide variety of other content types.

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How is STARS organized?

STARS is full text searchable, but for navigation purposes, it is organized by communities. Each community consists of collections. All collections of materials must have at least one named “collection administrator” whom is a current university staff or faculty member, has received an orientation to the system, agrees that the collection will abide by STARS policies, and is familiar with the needs associated with their collection in STARS.

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Who can submit materials to STARS?

The repository is open to all faculty, staff, students and affiliates of UCF. Student submissions may be subject to approval by the STARS coordinator in conjunction with a sponsoring faculty member. Any UCF college, unit, department, lab, center, or institute is eligible to join.

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Do I have to be affiliated with UCF to put content in STARS?

While content does not have to be authored by UCF faculty, students, or staff to be included in STARS, there does need to be a UCF affiliation. For example, a unit may use STARS to post papers from a conference they sponsored, which may include some UCF authors and many from other institutions. All that is required is that the sponsoring UCF unit decides that it is appropriate for their part of STARS.

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What types of materials can be hosted in STARS?

Examples of content you may put in STARS include (but are not limited to):

  • Working papers, conference papers, and technical reports
  • Faculty-student collaborative projects
  • Journals published by the UCF community
  • Published articles when copyright and/or license allow
  • Faculty course-related output primarily of scholarly interest
  • Organizational annual reports, newsletters, founding documents etc.
  • Data sets
  • Books or book chapters when copyright and/or license allow
  • Image collections or audiovisual materials, either primary or supplementary
  • Conferences and events
  • Projects that include digitized content and/or links to online content
  • Any materials created by, for, or about UCF

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What are the basic guidelines for work submitted to STARS?

Members of the UCF community interested in submitting work should work with their Subject Librarian or directly with the STARS coordinator and should review the policies and guidelines listed below. Different collections may have specific guidelines for submissions. These basic guidelines and principles apply to works submitted to the repository.

  • The work must be original, produced and submitted (or sponsored by) a faculty, staff, student, organization, institute, or department of UCF.
  • The work must be creative, scholarly in nature, research-oriented, or of institutional significance.
  • The author must own the copyright to all components and content for files uploaded to the repository, or have received and be able to show permission to make files available within STARS.
  • Authors retain the copyright of all works submitted and are free to reuse content as long as it complies with any other publication agreement.
  • All users must respect the intellectual property rights of the author and cannot copy, distribute, display, alter, or use for commercial purposes, any of the works unless otherwise specified.
  • By submitting for inclusion, the author or representative of the organization or department grants the University the right to distribute and preserve the material via STARS.
  • Contributors should notify all co-authors of intent to deposit work in STARS.
  • The repository follows an open access policy but in some cases material may be restricted by IP, domain, or username and made available only to current college faculty, staff, and students.
  • At this time, there is no formal limit to size of material but Collection Administrators or the STARS Coordinator reserve the right to deny inclusion of artifacts that are too large.
  • If you have questions about the suitability of a project for STARS, please contact us at STARS@ucf.edu

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Is there anything I shouldn't put in STARS?

Please note that the following content is NOT permitted for submission/publication to STARS:

  • FERPA-protected information, including student email addresses.
  • HIPPA-regulated information (protected health information, including any information related to the past, present or future physical or mental health of an individual, except only if the individual has authorized release of his or her information in writing, and such release is in the hands of the publisher.
  • Content barred by law or regulation from publication.
  • Intellectual property for which the submitter does not have permission to submit and distribute.
  • Non-public personally identifiable financial or contact information of any kind including, but not limited to, social security numbers, credit/debit card numbers, account numbers, account balances, and private residential addresses, except only where such records preexist as legitimate publicly accessible records outside the university.
  • Photographic depictions of individuals in areas where reasonable expectation of privacy exists, except if all individuals depicted have given written consent to publication of their image.
  • Records protected by state privacy laws. Please note that privacy laws vary by state and protect their residents even when they are out of state.
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    Can I remove or update a work previously submitted?

    STARS has been established as a permanent repository. Once materials are submitted and posted, items CANNOT be withdrawn but can be hidden from view. Possible reasons for withdrawal include factual inaccuracy, plagiarism and possible copyright infringement. Authors may request that the administrator remove their paper, or a version of their paper. They may also request that an updated version be posted. Posting updated versions along with the original material is one way faculty can show the progression of their research.

    • Any requests for withdrawal must be sent to the STARS coordinator.
    • Authors or affected parties may request that works be removed from Digital Commons for reasons of factual inaccuracy, plagiarism, or potential copyright infringement.
    • No materials will be removed without an attempt to reach the author.
    • If authors who have submitted work to STARS leave the University, their work will be retained in the repository. If the authors would like to have new contact information added to their material, the STARS coordinator will assist them in having such information added.
    • If a work is withdrawn, a citation including original metadata will always remain, but the work is noted as withdrawn. Sample statements might include “removed at request of author” or “removed by legal order.”

    Please note: theses and dissertations, both graduate and undergraduate, MAY NOT be revised per policies outlined by the College of Graduate Studies and Office of Honors Research.

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    Can STARS handle foreign language content?

    Yes, there is support for unicode metadata and full-text objects, which allows submissions in such non-Western languages as Greek, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Hebrew, and Arabic. So, feel free to include smiley faces in your metadata and articles. ☺

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    How does STARS facilitate searching?

    STARS content is full-text indexed in major search engines like Google™, Bing™, and Google™ Scholar. Our repository sites benefit from being part of an extensive collection of quality academic research—over 480,000 submissions and growing. In addition, scholars can find your papers and objects by topic, author, keyword, or institution. Customized email alerts and RSS feeds are also available to readers, allowing them to be automatically notified of new research.

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    How do I start a new collection or project?

    Visit the STARS project proposal to get started. Your responses will help us understand your needs so we can connect you with the appropriate staff and resources. You will be contacted to discuss a more detailed project plan and timeline. We look forward to working with you to make your content widely accessible and more discoverable.

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    May I contact you?

    Please do! Feel free to contact us at STARS@ucf.edu with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

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    For submission assistance

    Where do I find the submission form to upload my work?

    The easiest way to start your upload is to go to the collection you want to upload to and click on the Submit Item link in the Author Corner section of the sidebar. You must be logged in to STARS in order to upload works. If you are not logged in when you click on Submit Item, you will be prompted to do so.

    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.

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    When I copy and paste abstracts into the Submit form, some formatted text reverts to plain text. What's going on?

    When copying abstracts from a word processing file or a PDF file, and pasting the text into the submission form, you are taking text from an environment that supports fonts and text style changes. Because the abstract is intended to be presented on the web, text styles must be specified using HTML codes.

    If submitting an abstract in HTML format, please be sure to select the corresponding option on the submission form.

    The following HTML tags are recognized by the system and may be used to format an abstract (use lowercase tags):

    How to include HTML tags

    HTML tags
    <p> - paragraph
    <p>This is the first paragraph.</p>
    <p>This is the second paragraph.</p>

    This is the first paragraph.

    This is the second paragraph.

    <br /> - line break
    <p>This is a line of text with a linebreak here. <br /> This is text after</p>

    This is a line of text with a linebreak here.
    This is text after

    <strong> - strong/bold
    <strong>bold text</strong>

    bold text

    <em> - italics/emphasis
    <em>italicized text</em>

    italicized text

    <sub> - subscript
    Text with <sub>subscript</sub>

    Text with subscript

    <sup> - superscript
    Text with <sup>superscript</sup>

    Text with superscript

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    How do I include accents and special characters in the abstracts and titles?

    The repository software supports the worldwide character set (Unicode, utf-8). Accents, symbols, and other special characters may be copied and pasted into the abstract or title field from a word processing file or typed in directly. Windows users may also use the Character Map to insert these characters. Macintosh users may use the Character Palette (available via Edit > Special Characters in the Finder).

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    How do I revise a submission?

    To revise a submission that has been posted to the repository, contact the repository administrator with the new version.

    Please note: theses and dissertations, both graduate and undergraduate, MAY NOT be revised per policies outlines by the College of Graduate Studies and Office of Honors Research.

    If the submission has been submitted, but not yet posted, you may revise it via your My Account page:

    1. Locate the article on your My Account page, and click the title.
    2. Click Revise Submission from the list of options in the left sidebar.
    3. Enter your changes in the Revise Submission form, and click Submit at the bottom of the page to submit your changes. (You only need to modify the portion of the form that corresponds to the changes you wish to make.)

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    How can I submit a multi-part file, such as multiple chapters for a book?

    Combine all the sections together as one Microsoft Word file or PDF file and submit that.

    To make one PDF file from multiple files, open the first PDF file, then choose Document>Insert Pages from Acrobat's menus to insert the second file (indicate it should go after the last page of the first file), and repeat for all documents. The result will be one compound PDF file which may then be submitted.

    If you feel that the one large PDF file might be too large for some people to download, we suggest that you submit the consolidated file as the full text of the article, and then upload the separate chapters or sections of the document as Associated Files. These files will appear on the web page alongside the complete document. For more information about uploading associated files, see below.

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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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    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.

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    A working paper in our repository site has been published in a slightly revised form in a journal. What should I do?

    Many journals do not have any restrictions on working papers that preceded an article, especially if substantial revisions were made. You should check your author agreement with the journal to confirm that there is no problem with leaving the working paper on the site. The repository would constitute noncommercial use.

    Assuming the working paper does remain on posted in the repository, it is a good idea to include the citation to the published article on the cover page of the repository working paper. Please contact the repository administrator to request this change.

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    For rights issues

    What are the general rights and terms of use for material posted in STARS?

    These terms of use apply to any works without a Creative Commons license.

    • For previously published works (journal articles, book chapters, etc.) for which the publisher retains copyright, permission has been granted (where necessary) to post this material in STARS. For any use, which exceeds personal use or fair use, permission may be required by the copyright owner of the material.
    • For previously unpublished scholarly or creative works, the right to download or print any portion of this material is granted by the copyright owner only for personal or educational use. The author/creator retains all proprietary rights, including copyright ownership. Any editing, other reproduction or other use of this material by any means requires the express written permission of the copyright owner. Except as provided above, or for any other use that is allowed by Fair Use (Title 17, §107 U.S.C.), you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this web site in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner of the material.
    • For works posted in STARS that display a Creative Commons license in their record and/or on the work itself, the use of that work is governed by the terms of the license selected by the content creator. For more information about Creative Commons licenses, or to license your own work, please visit Creative Commons - About The Licenses.

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    What are my rights as an user?

    All users must respect the intellectual property rights of the author. Materials may be downloaded for education and research purposes provided due recognition is given to the author. Material may not be copied, distributed, displayed, altered, or used for commercial purposes, unless such use is specified.

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    What are my rights as an author?

    The author retains the copyright for all works submitted. The author is free to reuse the content, but it is his or her responsibility to check the terms of the publication agreement if a document published in STARS is published elsewhere. Authors may update and add to existing works. Author’s (or those submitting on behalf of an author) sign a Non-Exclusive Rights form outlining the terms and conditions under which the submission is made. For more information about non-exclusive rights forms, please contact us at STARS@ucf.edu.

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    Can I submit work to STARS for which I retained the copyright?

    If you retain copyright to the work in question, you should be able to submit it to STARS. If you share the copyright with other authors, check with them to make sure they also approve of the work being made available via STARS.

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    What if I didn't retain the copyright?

    If you do not retain copyright, but rather the publisher does, you should check publisher copyright policies to determine what is allowed to be submitted to an institutional repository. Permissions for many publishers can be found at SHERPA RoMEO. While the listing of publishers is growing, it does not cover all publishers. It may be necessary to contact publishers directly when their policy is ambiguous or when it does not address access via an institutional repository. A number of publishers allow the post-print version of a work to be submitted to an institutional repository, but not the publisher’s PDF version of the work. A post-print is defined as the post-peer reviewed version of the article that is accepted by the publisher for final publication.

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    Do you have a copyright infringement policy?

    STARS contributors are responsible for adhering to the copyright policies of the University of Central Florida, which includes adherence to federal copyright law. In general, we will assume good faith on the part of repository contributors, educate our contributors on their rights and responsibilities with respect to copyright, and act quickly to remedy copyright problems if they arise. In order to prevent problems with allegations of copyright infringement involving STARS, we will:

    • Provide access to resources about the requirements of copyright law, copyright consideration for materials previously or subsequently posted in scholarly journals and other forums, and fair use.
    • Make it clear that submissions to STARS should comply with UCF’s policies on copyright and applicable copyright laws.
    • As part of the submission process, require submitters to warrant that their submissions do not infringe copyright.

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    What will you do if someone makes copyright infringement allegations about material I have posted?

    In the event that an interested party makes specific allegations of copyright infringement regarding material posted in the repository, with sufficient information to be substantially in compliance with the DMCA notification requirements, we will:

    • Forward such correspondence to: UCF’s designated copyright agent, the administrative contact for the unit under which the allegedly infringing material was posted, and the authors of the allegedly infringing material.
    • Remind authors and unit administrators of their rights and responsibilities concerning copyright and scholarly expression.

    Upon the request of UCF’s copyright agent, the unit administrator, or the authors, we will:

    • Disable access to the full text of the allegedly infringing item.
    • Retain the item record and metadata (with a note that the full text is not available at present).
    • At our discretion we may choose to publicize the correspondence alleging infringement.
    • Restore access to the full text if such counter-notification is given.

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    What will you do if you discover that specific material in STARS is posted in infringement of copyright?

    In the event that we discover that specific material in STARS is posted in infringement of copyright, but we have not received actual notice from an interested party as described above, we will:

    • Report our discovery, and the reason for our judgment that the item is infringing, to the administrative contact for the unit under which the allegedly infringing material was posted, and the authors of the allegedly infringing material.
    • Remind authors and unit administrators of their rights and responsibilities concerning copyright and scholarly expression.
    • Request a warrant confirming that the material is not infringing.
    • If we do not receive one in a reasonable time period, at our discretion disable access to the full text as described above.
    Generally, discovery of infringement should involve positive evidence of infringement. We should not presume that authors have not obtained special permission to use copyrighted material in their submissions. In any of the events described above, we will retain all correspondence related to the alleged or apparent infringements.

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    I don't know if I own the copyright to my work. Is there anywhere I can look it up?

    Permissions for many publishers can be found at SHERPA RoMEO. While the listing of publishers is growing, it does not cover all publishers. It may be necessary to contact publishers directly when their policy is ambiguous or when it does not address access via an institutional repository. A number of publishers allow the post-print to be submitted to an institutional repository, but not the publisher’s PDF version. A post-print is defined as the post-peer reviewed version of the article that is accepted by the publisher for final publication. For additional questions, please contact us at STARS@ucf.edu.

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    I need more information about copyright. Can you help?

    Yes! Please visit our Scholarly Communication copyright page or contact us at STARS@ucf.edu.

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    For researchers

    Who can access the materials posted in STARS?

    Materials hosted in STARS default to open access so they are readily available to worldwide audiences.

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    What if I want to restrict access to my files?

    Access restrictions are available. Restrictions can be made to limit access to specific user ids within the system, by IP range, or by domain (i.e. anyone with a @ucf.edu email address).

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    Could I create an online searchable database of my lab data?

    STARS uses the Digital Commons platform. We can review your content to determine how it will work best in the system. However, if you want to create a stand-alone database and are looking for a server to host it, STARS will not be able to help with that.

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    I have A LOT of files. Do I have to upload them one at a time?

    You can upload items individually or you can work with an administrator to upload in batches. We are happy to make you an administrator on any of your collections so you can have permissions to complete tasks at your discretion. The batch upload is done by spreadsheet so the learning curve is relatively small.

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    Would I be able to update my data files as needed?

    Authors cannot replace an item once it is in the system, but we are happy to make you an administrator on any of your collections so you will have permission to make changes at your discretion.

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    Is anyone else already using the Digital Commons platform for data?

    You can read about faculty experiences using Digital Commons for data here:

    If you want to see how others have showcased their data in Digital Commons, here are some good examples:

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    Do you have a generic statement I can use for my proposal?

    We do have a generic statement. If you would like one more specific to your project, we please contact us.

    The data will be publicly available via the University of Central Florida’s institutional repository, STARS (stars.library.ucf.edu), an open-access digital repository for the research and scholarly output of the University of Central Florida. This institutional repository operates on the bepress Digital Commons platform, a comprehensive hosted solution for storing, managing, and sharing data. The service offers unlimited storage, customizable metadata, authorization and access control tools, long-term stable URLs, on-demand metrics, and search engine indexing.

    The data and metadata are managed by the PI in consultation with repository staff and librarians. Data appropriate for public release will be openly published and archived through STARS. Those data requiring access restriction periods prior to open access publication through the repository will be appropriately embargoed and/or restricted based on user id, IP range, or domain.

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    I'd like to learn more. Can you help?

    University of Central Florida researchers are eligible to submit materials to STARS, a university-wide digital repository hosted on the Digital Commons platform. Digital Commons is a comprehensive hosted solution for storing, managing, and sharing data. Digital Commons provides:

    • Unlimited Storage (no additional costs)
    • Authorization and access-control tools
    • Fully hosted: no campus IT resources required
    • Support for all file types and formats
    • Multiple back-ups, cloud storage, and quarterly archives

    STARS can support access to media and file types for data in a variety of shapes, sizes, and formats including TIFF, .mov, .ark, .shp, and anything else you’ve got. Streaming audio and video, geo-location tools, and pan and zoom for images bring research data to life. STARS provides faculty with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface to upload and manage datasets directly. Tools are also provided for staff to upload and manage data files in bulk on researchers’ behalf. When researchers publish data sets on STARS, they get on-demand metrics about who’s looking at their data. STARS has settings to allow materials to be fully open access or to restrict access and manage levels of authorization based on user id, IP range, or domain. In addition, advanced tools for data publishing such as license and copyright tools, customizable metadata, recommended citations, multiple display options, and persistent URLs ensure tailored curation and discoverability for all types of data.

    For information about data management, please visit our Data Management guide. For assistance with STARS, please contact us at STARS@ucf.edu.

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    For metadata issues

    What is metadata?

    Simply put, metadata is used to describe or summarize works or objects. It may include information that describes what a work is about, how it is presented, and what has been done to it. Examples of metadata include keywords or subjects, the number of pages a book has, an object's file format, or the date a photograph was taken or digitized.

    Technically speaking, metadata is data about data, data associated with an object, a document, or a dataset for purposes of description, administration, technical functionality and preservation.

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    How does metadata work in STARS and Digital Commons?

    Metadata allows resources in STARS to be discovered online and shared worldwide. Metadata is added with each item when it is uploaded into STARS, either by you or a collection administrator, and it can be added or revised in the future, either by a collection administrator or our Metadata Cataloger.

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    What are the different types of metadata?

    There are three main types of metadata: descriptive, structural and administrative metadata.

    • Descriptive metadata describes an item or object, and may include title, author, and keywords.
    • Structural metadata describes how the parts of an item are organized. How pages are ordered to form chapters is an example of structural metadata.
    • Administrative metadata includes technical, rights management and preservation metadata.

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    Are there standards in metadata? What metadata standard does Digital Commons support?

    Yes, there are international standards to metadata. Digital Commons supports Dublin Core (DC), the most widely used standard for digital resources. All labels and fields in Digital Commons are mapped to DC when appropriate for metadata harvesting and sharing.

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    Can you provide a list of available metadata fields in STARS and give me some examples?

    Of course. The Metadata Guide for STARS may answer some of your questions and provides tips on the use of common metadata fields. When we meet with you to begin building your collection, we will have a list of basic fields, then depending on your individual needs, we build on that list.

    Since there are over 400 other institutions using the Digital Commons platform, we are able to find examples for many other types of collections, and we have modeled many of our collections on what others are doing. Let us know what your needs are and we can provide you with options.

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    My data has some discipline-specific characteristics that cannot be covered by the generic fields defined by Dublin Core, what can I do?

    Digital Commons allows us to create a unique set of metadata fields for every collection. These fields will then be mapped to the most appropriate field in Dublin Core for metadata sharing and interoperability. But don’t worry about this part—you tell us what you want to see in STARS and we will do the mapping.

    If you are interested in learning more about disciplinary metadata standards, visit the library's research guide to learn more.

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    How are the metadata fields set up in STARS for your collection or data?

    We have a standard list of fields that we use for types of publications and collections, including events, images, journals, etc. From there, we can work with you to further define the set of metadata elements, policies, and controlled vocabularies for your particular project or collection. Once the fields are finalized, the STARS Administrators will work with our representative at Digital Commons to get the collection set up for you.

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    Can I choose certain metadata fields for public display and hide other fields for my collection?

    Yes. The Library's STARS administrator can set it up for you.

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    Can I edit and revise metadata for my publications and research data?

    Only collection administrators can revise metadata. However, if you have a question about one of your items, or notice a problem with the record, feel free to contact the STARS administrator at STARS@ucf.edu for assistance.

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    Can you help ensure my metadata is better organized or displayed to allow greater discovery and sharing?

    Definitely! Digital Commons works directly with Google to ensure their records are optimized to place highly in search results, and then Digital Commons works with us to make sure we are following those recommendations.

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    How is my data and metadata going to be shared online and by the community?

    Metadata in STARS will be exposed via the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). Digital Commons supports OAI-PMH version 2.0 and it is an OAI Data Provider. Its sites support OAI-PMH as a means of exposing metadata, but not harvesting metadata from other sites. For details, please read: Digital Commons and OAI-PMH: Harvesting Repository Records.

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    I have works and datasets in local databases and other repositories, can they be transferred to STARS? What about metadata for these resources?

    The Library can work with you to transfer your works and datasets in various locations such as local drives, local databases and other repositories to STARS, if permitted by copyright. The Library can discuss with you the metadata options for these materials.

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    I am interested in learning more about metadata, the generic Dublin Core, and disciplinary metadata standards. Where can I find more information?

    Dublin Core provides basic information such as definition and use of DC elements and qualifiers at "DCMI Metadata Terms." Elements and qualifiers can be found under the first two lines of the "Index of Terms" table. The Library can help you to enhance your metadata.

    A list of guidelines and resources to help you specify your data:

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    Are there ways that my data can be better specified to allow greater discovery and sharing?

    There are several ways that can help you to organize and present your research and data. To share your researcher identifiers and assign controlled vocabularies to different fields in your data are among them.
    Researcher identifiers: Researchers are recommended to provide their identifiers and authority files established by the research communities and the library community if available. These identifiers can include but not limited to: ORCID, ResearcherID, LC Name Authority File, Virtual International Authority File (VIAF), DBpedia link, and your Academia.edu profile.
    Controlled vocabulary is a standardized set of terms used to organize knowledge for subsequent retrieval. Tags, thesauri, taxonomy and ontology are all forms of metadata that form the foundation for semantic web and the linked data world.
    For collections in Digital Commons, both controlled vocabularies and keywords can be assigned.
    You can refer to the following resources on controlled vocabularies:

    Digital Commons also provides Disciplines: Digital Commons Three-Tiered Taxonomy of Academic Disciplines for you to select for your resource or data. In your submission, you are encouraged to provide some keywords for your data. Controlled terms can be set up for a field in the repository using a drop down list. You can discuss with the STARS team to contribute or request controlled vocabularies to be added for your collection.

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    For SelectedWorks

    What is SelectedWorks?

    SelectedWorks profiles allow UCF faculty, staff, and students to store, manage, organize, and highlight their work in an easy to manage UCF branded interface. A SelectedWorks profile provides worldwide access to individual authors’ work with pages that are optimized to enhance discoverability in Google, Google Scholar and other search engines.

    With SelectedWorks, faculty and staff authors can create author profiles that integrate directly with the repository. Authors are able to highlight the entire body of their work alongside those included in STARS. The benefits available through Digital Commons are also offered through SelectedWorks, including search engine optimization, monthly readership reports with download statistics, and stable URLs for reliably linking to works.

    By developing a profile, faculty, staff, and students can take advantage of additional features offered by SelectedWorks. An introductory paragraph with biographical information can be included, along with a section for expertise, a photograph, job title, and links to a current CV and external websites. Authors have complete control of their profiles and can choose to add, delete, or otherwise change the content at any time. The profiles are also completely portable. If an author moves to another institution, their SelectedWorks profile remains in the control of the individual as a free service from Bepress. Only the university branding will change, either to the default available from Bepress, or to the style available through the new institution if it is offered there.

    For examples, preview UCF’s SelectedWorks Profile Gallery.

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    Why should I use SelectedWorks?
    • Easy to manage, organize and upload research, course work, presentations, data etc. You have control over your profile and customization options.
    • Higher google rankings than regular faculty websites, making your work more findable to a global audience
    • Focus is on YOU. The profile is yours and you can take it to another institution
    • Enhances professional visibility and impact through broader dissemination and increased use of research.
    • Provides a quick, effortless, and inexpensive method of sharing research.
    • Allows tracking of document usage through download reports.
    • Notifies colleagues when new publications are uploaded.
    • Send out mailings to subscribers
    • When authorized, enables an easy method to allow assistants to update and maintain your site.
    • Creates an online vita which can provide full-text access to your publications.

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    What is the difference between SelectedWorks and STARS?

    STARS is a digital institutional repository and open access publishing platform. STARS makes it possible for works by, for, and about the University of Central Florida to be viewed in one place.

    SelectedWorks is a tool for individuals to highlight and promote personal scholarly and creative activity by providing access to your work, research interests, and accomplishments. These profiles are linked to from within STARS, but reside on a separate platform. With SelectedWorks, you can maintain your site over time and cultivate a permanent profile for your work and activities. If you leave UCF, you will have the ability to retain full privileges to your SelectedWorks profile.

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    I already have a personal web site/linkedIn account/departmental webpage/academia.edu page. Why should I create a SelectedWorks profile?

    SelectedWorks, while similar to other personal web sites, is a powerful tool that goes beyond a social networking site. SelectedWorks allows for sharing of your work using a variety of tools and effective reporting of the use of these same items – all controlled by you. With SelectedWorks, you and your readers can take advantage of the mailing list, social media sharing, RSS feeds, and other mechanisms to share your work. Additionally, you can create customized reports on the usage of your work, including how many views and downloads, which can be useful in demonstrating the impact of your work. SelectedWorks is part of our open access repository, STARS. You can find a good explanation and comparison of Academia.edu, ResearchGate, and open access repositories at A social networking site is not an open access repository

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    I have already added content to STARS. Do I need to enter it all again to post to my SelectedWorks profile?

    No. If you have entered content into STARS, you do not need to re-enter it into SelectedWorks. You have the ability to import your work from STARS and other Digital Commons sites to your SelectedWorks site.

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    So I can post content to both STARS and SelectedWorks? How do I choose which one to use?

    Correct. You can upload content to both STARS and SelectedWorks. If you add content to STARS, it will be maintained in the institutional repository and can easily be shared with your SelectedWorks profile. Some general guidelines:

    STARS

    • Foucs on UCF - works by, for, or about UCF
    • Materials created during your time at UCF
    • Focus on UCF – institutional affiliated materials; long-term
    • Examples: Faculty scholarship and creative works, departmental collections and archives, digitized collections
    • Faculty can add their scholarship and creative works to STARS here to be included in the Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works collection. To upload materials to STARS, a STARS account is required to login. You can create a new account by clicking Sign up at the login prompt.
    • If you would like to suggest a new collection for STARS, please fill out a project request form.

    SelectedWorks profile

    • Focus on YOU - your entire history
    • Works created at non-UCF institutions
    • Ability to import works from STARS
    • Better for works in progress or often updated
    • You control materials to withdraw and make changes or updates
    • Examples: Working papers, presentations, images, posters, outreach materials, embed streaming media files, and more

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    I would like to setup a SelectedWorks profile. How do I get started?

    Go to http://works.bepress.com/account/register/

    • Create a free account.
    • Reply to the link in a confirmation email to activate your account.
    • Sign in.
    • Step by step instructions for creating your account and performing many functions are included in the SelectedWorks Guide for Authors. For additional questions or help, contact your subject librarian or the STARS manager (stars@ucf.edu).

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    I already have an account. How do I sign into my SelectedWorks profile?

    Go to http://works.bepress.com/login.

    You can also sign in from your profile page. If you are viewing your profile, click on the menu in the upper right hand corner and select Login.

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    I am on my profile page, but can’t make any changes or add items.

    To add items or edit your profile, you must be signed into your SelectedWorks profile. If you are viewing your profile, click on the menu in the upper right hand corner and select Login. If you need help, contact STARS manager (stars@ucf.edu).

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    Can I assign someone else to post my papers or edit my profile for me?

    Yes! You can assign delegates to act on your behalf.

    • Make sure you are logged into your SelectedWorks site.
    • Click on the menu in the upper right hand corner and select Access Management.
    • In the Delegates box, add the first and last names and the email address of the person that you would like to be able to make changes for you. Click Add.
    • Please note: Your delegates will be able to make any and all changes to your site (including uploading content and adding/revising personal information).

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    Can I use my site as a bibliography for all my work even if I cannot post all my papers due to copyright concerns?

    Of course! SelectedWorks allows you to upload metadata and link directly to your paper on the publisher's site. Furthermore, in the advanced settings you can easily customize your citations so that they appear exactly how you want them to.

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    What if I have questions about copyright and my author rights?

    Start with our FAQ on copyright. If you have additional questions, please visit our Scholarly Communication copyright page and author rights page or contact us at STARS@ucf.edu.

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    What happens to my SelectedWorks profile if I leave UCF?

    Your content is available in perpetuity. When an author leaves current employment or affiliation with UCF, an author may choose to maintain their SelectedWorks profile individually – or at their new institution if they use Digital Commons for their repository. Please contact the STARS team (stars@ucf.edu) to request a transfer.

    Who should I contact for questions and assistance with my SelectedWorks profile?

    For general questions or assistance with your SelectedWorks profile, please contact the STARS manager (stars@ucf.edu).

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    UCF Theses and Dissertations

    Who owns the copyright to UCF theses and dissertations?

    Students retain copyright to their theses and dissertations in STARS. STARS requires a non-exclusive license to archive and distribute student theses or dissertations. Students retain the right to use their work in future publications or dissemination.

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    How do I submit my thesis or dissertation to STARS?

    Students will receive instructions from either the Office of Honors Research or the Office of Graduate Student Life.

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    Is there a fee associated with submitting theses and dissertations to STARS?

    No, there is no fee to students associated with hosting theses and dissertations in STARS.

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    Can the level of access be changed after submission of a thesis or dissertation?

    No, access options cannot be changed after official submission per Graduate Studies/Office of Honors Research policies

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    How do I obtain a copy of a campus-only thesis or dissertation?

    Anyone located on any UCF campus, and those with a STARS account with a @ucf.edu and @knights.ucf.edu, can view and download all theses and dissertations. Authors who have an email address associated with their work, and an account in STARS with the same email, can access their work at any time.

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    I do not have an email address associated with my thesis/dissertation. How do I add one?

    Contact us at STARS@ucf.edu, and include your name and the title of your work.

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    How can I change the email that is on my thesis/dissertation?

    Contact us at STARS@ucf.edu, and include your name and the title of your work.

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    Who can find and read works in UCF's Theses and Dissertations collection in STARS?

    STARS content is full-text indexed in major search engines like Google™, Bing™, and Google™ Scholar. If you chose a Campus-only restriction for your work, only users on a UCF campus or with a @ucf.edu or @knights.ucf.edu email address can read the full-text, however other information such as abstract, keywords, and advisor/chair are freely available. If you have patent or other proprietary issues and chose to temporarily embargo your thesis or dissertation, no information will be available about your work for the duration of the embargo period.

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    When will I be able to access my thesis/dissertation in STARS?

    Theses and dissertations are typically available within a month of the final submission deadline. Authors will receive email notification when their work had been made available.

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    I have more questions, who do I contact?

    Feel free to contact us at STARS@ucf.edu with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

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