The Digital Archive @ Georgia State University

The Digital Archive @ Georgia State University is a place to store the scholarly output of the university community. Its mission is to describe, preserve, and make available access the research output of faculty, staff, and students:

• DESCRIPTION. Apply metadata (descriptive terms) to each file so that it can be found through a search engine such as Google.
• PRESERVATION. Ensure the file is valid and authentic (and can still be opened years from now).
• ACCESS. Ensure that files are available over the Internet, and maintain a stable URL, so the file is always in the same place.

• pre-/post-prints
• research and technical reports
• learning objects/instructional materials
• white papers
• conference proceedings
• data sets
• electronic theses and dissertations
• models & simulations
• working papers
• presentations
• web pages
• recorded lectures and symposia
• departmental publications
• newsletters
• annual reports
• university catalogues
• meeting minutes

Benefits of The Digital Archive @ Georgia State University

• GREATER VISIBILITY, CITATION, AND IMPACT. Articles in the repository are freely available on the Internet so they can be found and accessed (and therefore cited) more easily than articles held in proprietary databases.
• ORGANIZATION. The Digital Archive can contain all of the scholarly work by one faculty member, including material such as pre-prints, post-prints, presentations, and classroom materials (dependent on copyright restrictions). Instead of being scattered about in different databases, servers, or computer hard drives, this material can be browsed easily in one place by the user, and reused easily by the contributor.
• PRESERVATION. In order to ensure continued access, digital files need to be refreshed and migrated. Ten years from now, will you be able to open a Microsoft Word file you've created today? Depositing a file into the Digital Archive means that the burden of ensuring the file can be opened is placed on the curator of the institutional repository, and not on the owner.
• EASE OF USE. Although self-submission is possible in the Digital Archive, the Library provides the service of uploading and researching copyright. All that is needed are files to upload and permission to upload it.
• PERMANENT PLACE. Depositing an item into the Digital Archive means that it stays in one place, and maintains the same URL.

• The scholarly material produced by the university is available in one place, reflecting the intellectual achievements of the institution, and serving as a valuable marketing tool.
• Documents reflecting the institutional history of the university, both scholarly and non-scholarly, are preserved for future use, much like a traditional archive preserves paper material.
• Material that is not traditionally published is included in the Digital Archive, including drafts of unpublished articles or book chapters, unpublished research, student works, learning objects, and creative works.
• The Digital Archive can be used as a recruitment tool for faculty and students, a place to direct legislators, alumni, and others interested in seeing the research and scholarly work of faculty and students.

• Material in the Digital Archive can be found through a search engine.
• There is no charge to access this material, and there are no subscription fees.
• The Digital Archive contains material that is best displayed in its original digital format, such as audio files, video files, animations, and data sets.
• Gray literature, material not easily found through conventional means, will be actively recruited for the Digital Archive. This can include material such as working papers, pre-prints, white papers, conference presentations.

Digital Initiatives | Electronic Theses & Dissertations Database |
The Digital Archive @ Georgia State University | Open Access Journals