Copyright FAQs

  • Is the Institutional Repository of the University of Almería (riUAL) an alternative to the publication in journals?
  • No. The use of riUAL is supplementary to the publication in journals.

  • Can my research lose chances of being published in high impact factor journals if I Deposit it in riUAL?
  • No. Most publishers have incorporated their Open Access policies into the agreements signed with the authors.They can be consulted at the databases Sherpa Romeo (international journals) and Dulcinea (spanish journals), as well as at the publishers' web pages.

  • If my publication is susceptible of commercial exploitation or patentability, should I include it in riUAL?
  • No. Only those works that are intended to be widely disseminated and cited should be included in riUAL.

  • Does the publication in riUAL increase the chances that others plagiarize my work?
  • No. Accessible online material makes plagiarism detection easier than traditional publishing. In addition to that, the application of a Creative Commons license also protects your rights.

  • Does the deposit in riUAL affect my rights as an author? May l lose control over my job?
  • No. Placing your work in riUAL does not affect your rights as an author. In fact, when applying an additional license (Creative Commons) these are more protected.

  • I currently deposit my work on my personal website. What advantages does offer riUAL?
  • riUAL meets the requirements of the international standard Open Archives Initiative (OAI) that allows it to be retrieved by Google and Google Scholar, reaching a higher position in the searches ranking. In addition, the assignment of a URI (Handle) ensures its permanent updating. On the other hand, through the allocation of metadata to each ítem, several search engines can harvest them in a standardized and stable way.

  • What kind of licenses do I have to accept to deposit my work in riUAL?
  • riUAL uses two types of licenses: The non-exclusive distribution of the University of Almería and the Creative Commons 3.0 Spain. Through the non-exclusive distribution license the researcher reserves the right of publishing or depositing their work in other repositories. The Creative Commons 3.0 Spain License ensures compliance with the conditions imposed by the University of Almería in the dissemination of the scientific production. Attribution - Non commercial - No derivative works: the author allows copying, Reproduce, distribute and publicly communicate the work, as long as it is Cite and acknowledge the original author. However, it is not allowed to generate a Derived from it or used for commercial purposes. The license is perpetual so it ensures the protection of the work in all of its duration. The author reserves the right to exploit the work with another license (either Creative Commons or not), or even remove it, but the license previously granted shall remain in force. Creative Commons licenses are not exclusive. The author can apply other licenses to the same work under different conditions, but the subsequent licenses may only be granted on a non-exclusive basis.

  • Some publishers' policies only allow a private copy of the pre-print (or post-print) versions. How are they defined?
  • The pre-print version refers to the author's private copy before peer review, being the post-print version the one that has already overcome this process. The private copy must not present the logo, pages or layout of the journal.

  • Which are the policies of the Research Evaluation Agencies about Open Access?
  • The Open Access movement is already reflected in public policies (Law 14/2011 of Science, Technology and Innovation, RD 99/2011 about PhD studies, support from FECYT To Open Access Seminars, Open Acces mandates in funding calls by the Ministry of Economy). With regard to the ANECA and CNEAI calls for Accreditation and Research evaluation, the number of queries and downloads from the repository can be counted as indicators of the quality of our work in the "Other evidences" field.

  • Where can I find more information about the scientific literature Open Access movement?
  • You can check some selected links at our website

  • sk for any doubt or question: repositorio@ual.es