Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can I submit materials to Digital Collections?

A: If you are interested in contributing materials, please contact Dwayne Collins for more information. We are currently developing an automated submission process that will be available in the future.

Q: Who can submit materials to Digital Collections?

A: Any department, research centre, faculty, staff, or researcher affiliated with Trent University may deposit materials. Student submissions (aside from theses) are currently evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Q: What kind of materials can be deposited to Digital Collections?

A: Any digital content can be submitted. We are particularly interested in the following content:

  • faculty research output (pre-/post-prints, conference papers, datasets, syllabi, etc.);
  • materials reflecting the rich intellectual and cultural history of the University and Peterborough region.

Q: How does copyright work for submitted materials?

A: Rights holders decide what level of copyright their materials shall be subject to as part of the submission process (ranging from public domain to all rights reserved). Digital Collections encourages the use of Creative Commons licenses for materials that are meant to be shared. We are happy to work with users to determine a copyright license that will meet your needs. In all cases, Trent University Library & Archives must be granted an irrevocable, non-exclusive license to materials in the Digital Collections site.

Q: I want to submit material that has been published elsewhere, can I do this?

A: Maybe! Many journal publishers allow for self-archiving of materials by authors in repositories such as Digital Collections. We are happy to work with authors to determine if they are able to deposit their work in the repository.

Q: Is Digital Collections an Institutional Repository for the purposes of meeting open access requirements established by granting bodies?

A: Yes, one of the functions of Digital Collections is to act as Trent University's institutional repository. We encourage researchers to contact us to determine if our platform will meet the specific needs of your granting body.

Q: I would like my research profile to appear in the Faculty Research Collection. Do I have to deposit copies of my work for that to happen?

A: No. Faculty research profiles can consist of citations only, although we encourage material deposit where legally possible. Contact us and send your CV to be included.

Q: Where's my MA or PhD thesis? It's not included here.

A: Only theses submitted since Trent's implementation of Electronic Thesis Submission are included here (approximately 2013). If you submitted your thesis prior to this point, please contact us for information on how you can have your thesis included. If your thesis was submitted after 2013, it will eventually appear on the Digital Collections site.

Search Our Digital Collections