About the repository
What is a repository and why do I want to use it?
The best way to have publications, theses and data promoted or preserved is to have them accessible online. The La Trobe University Repository is an online dissemination platform that:
- allows people to find your research easily,
- increases the impact and citation rates of your publications by improving their visibility,
- helps researchers collaborate and share data,
- assists with funding and grant applications.
Funding contracts for your research may require you to submit your data or publications to La Trobe's Repository.
We will:
- check copyright and licensing agreements before making materials available,
- ensure that your material has the correct description so it can be distributed and found,
- make your material discoverable through search engines such as Google.
What is Open Access?
Much of the content in the Repository is Open Access. This means publications and data are freely accessible to readers.
How do I find Open Access documents in the repository?
Tick the "Open access items only" checkbox when doing your search. If you don't tick the box, there will be records in the results that won't have any documents attached.
Are there restrictions on how I can use 'Open Access' items in the repository?
Documents in the repository can be downloaded for personal use, but reuse of material is subject to copyright law. Some material is licensed under less restrictive conditions. Check each record for copyright information. If in doubt, contact Scholarly Publications staff.
What are my rights as an author when my research is 'Open Access'?
Once your research is written it will be protected by copyright. Copyright will also apply to any drafts of your research. You will own the copyright in your research, unless there is an agreement in place that specifies otherwise.
As the copyright owner, you will have exclusive rights to:
- Reproduce your research in any format,
- Publish your research,
- Communicate your research, this means to make it available online, or email or fax it to someone,
- Perform your research in public,
- Adapt your research.
If anyone else wants to do any of these things, they will need your permission.
I have found documents in the repository that, I believe, have been made available without permission from the copyright owner. What can I do?
Contact Scholarly Publications staff with details about the documents in question:
| Contact | Details |
|---|---|
| Repository |
|
What items can I submit to the Repository?
The following items are accepted in digital form (subject to checking of copyright and license agreements):
- Journal articles
- Conference Papers
- Book chapters
- Books
- Research papers/reports
- Discussion papers
- Working papers
- Technical reports
- Theses (PhD and masters by research theses are published in the repository as part of the graduation process and are added to the National Library of Australia's "Trove" database. Read more about thesis submission)
- Images
- Audio and video
- Datasets
- Open education resources
If it's not possible to keep the full text of a publication in the repository, a metadata record about the publication can still be added to promote your work.
