Institutional Repository Policy

Scope

This Policy outlines the standards, guidelines, and responsibilities for managing, submitting, and accessing content within the repository.

This policy applies to all members of Bells University of Technology, including faculty, students, staff, and researchers affiliated with the university. The IR will include a variety of content types produced within the university, including but not limited to:

• Theses and dissertations
• Research articles and papers
• Conference proceedings
• Technical reports
• Teaching materials and lecture notes
• Educational resources and recorded lectures
• Historical records and university publications

Governance and Oversight

The IR will be managed by the University Library under the following structure:

• Repository Manager: Responsible for daily operations, content review, metadata quality, and user support.
• Advisory Board: Comprised of representatives from various departments, the board provides strategic guidance and resolves policy issues.
• IT Support Team: Ensures technical maintenance, data security, and infrastructure reliability.
• Content Contributors: Faculty, students, and staff who submit materials to the IR, adhering to established guidelines.

Content Submission Policy

Eligibility

Eligible contributors include all current faculty, staff, researchers, and students of Bells University of Technology.

Alumni and retired staff may also contribute content relevant to their time at the university with permission from the Repository Manager.

Content Types

Only scholarly, educational, and research-based content created or co-created by members of Bells University of Technology are eligible. Examples of eligible content include theses, dissertations, peer-reviewed articles, preprints, conference papers, datasets, technical reports, working papers, speeches, addresses, newsletters, bulletins, inaugural lectures, public lectures, college/unit lectures and lecture materials.

Submission Process

Contributors must complete the submission process via the IR platform and provide essential metadata (title, authors, department, keywords, etc.). Materials intended to be submitted will undergo an initial review by the Repository Manager to ensure compliance with IR standards, metadata accuracy, and content quality. Submissions must be accompanied by a signed “Contributor Agreement” that grants the university permission to store, distribute, and preserve the content.

Content Accessibility

Open Access Policy

The IR promotes open access to maximize the visibility and impact of scholarly work. All content will be accessible to the public unless restricted for specific reasons (e.g., embargoes, intellectual property concerns). Embargoed items will be made publicly available after the embargo period as stipulated by the contributor or funding agency.

Access Levels and Embargoes

Access to certain materials may be restricted to internal users or made temporarily unavailable to comply with publisher or funding agency requirements. Contributors may request embargoes for content that should be restricted temporarily (e.g., pending publication).

Use and Redistribution

All IR content is accessible for personal, educational, and research purposes, provided that proper attribution is given to the author(s). Content may not be used for commercial purposes or redistributed without the author’s permission, unless explicitly permitted in the item's licensing.

Intellectual Property and Copyright

Contributors’ Rights

Contributors retain the copyright of their work and grant Bells University of Technology a non-exclusive license to store, distribute, and preserve the content. Contributors must ensure that their submissions do not infringe upon third-party intellectual property rights and obtain any necessary permissions.

Third-Party Content

Content containing third-party copyrighted material (images, tables, figures) must have appropriate permissions, or else it must be retracted or removed before submission.

Licensing Options

Contributors may select an appropriate Creative Commons license for their work, which will dictate permissible uses by others.

Preservation and Retention

Digital Preservation

The IR will adopt digital preservation practices to ensure the long-term accessibility and usability of all content. Preservation strategies include regular backups, format migration, and security updates to mitigate data loss or corruption.

Retention Policy

Content submitted to the IR will be retained indefinitely to maintain a permanent academic record. Contributors may request withdrawal of their content if it contains errors or breaches copyright, but this is subject to the approval of the Repository Manager and Advisory Board.

Metadata Standards

The IR will use standard metadata protocols (e.g., Dublin Core) to ensure consistent, high-quality indexing, discoverability, and interoperability with other repositories. Metadata will include essential details like title, author(s), date, abstract, keywords, and department, and will be reviewed by the Repository Manager to ensure accuracy.

Compliance with Funding and Institutional Policies

The IR will support compliance with funding bodies’ open-access mandates and ensure that research funded by grants is openly accessible as required. Content that fails to meet such requirements may not be eligible for submission.

User Conduct and Use of Repository

User Conduct

Users must use the IR ethically, respecting copyright laws, data privacy, and the rights of authors and contributors. Violations of conduct will result in restricted access and may be subject to university disciplinary action.

Use for Research and Education

Users are encouraged to use IR content for non-commercial educational and research purposes, provided they give proper credit to the original authors.

Policy Review and Revisions

This policy will be reviewed annually by the IR Advisory Board and updated as necessary to reflect technological advancements, changing legal requirements, and the evolving needs of the university community. All changes to the policy will be communicated to contributors, users, and university stakeholders in a timely manner.