Rice Research Repository: Frequently asked questions
Rice Research Repository (R-3) FAQ
How do I report issues such as the site being down?
Sorry that you are having difficulty accessing the Rice Research Repository! Please contact us using this webform to report the problem and get help.
How do I search for a Rice thesis or dissertation in the Rice Research Repository?
If you know the name of the author, advisor, or committee member, select "Rice University Graduate Electronic Theses and Dissertations" on the repository home page. Then, select Browse --> By Author. Note: author, advisor, and committee member names appear via this function; it is currently impossible to separate student names from faculty names during a search.
If you know the title of the thesis or dissertation, you can use the "Search the repository" bar on the repository home page.
If you are unable to find a thesis or dissertation, please use this webform.
How do I find archival or special collections content?
Archival and special collections materials, including Rice images and documents, have moved to the Woodson Research Center's Digital Collections. For some content that was initially housed in R-3, the original handle (e.g., https://hdl.handle.net/1911/79050) will resolve to the new platform. When there is no redirect available, please search directly in the Woodson Research Center's Digital Collections.
Can I archive web pages?
Rice subscribes to the Archive-It web archiving solution hosted by the Internet Archive. Rice web pages are regularly crawled by the Archive-It service and are available online at the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. For a listing of individual pages please see Search Rice's Archived Websites. Please contact Amanda Focke (afocke at rice dot edu) with any questions.
What if I want to remove my work from the repository?
As a digital archive, the Rice Research Repository (R-3) strives to provide persistent access to all content. Requests to withdraw content are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by appropriate library staff and/or Rice General Counsel. Please see the Content Withdrawal Policy in the "Repository policies" tab of this guide for more information.
How do I know when an embargo on an item will lift?
Upon an author's request, items in the Rice Research Repository can be embargoed. If an item is embargoed, metadata is visible but the user cannot access files.
To identify the date that the embargo is scheduled to lift, click on "Full item page," and look for the metadata field "dc.embargo.lift."
If you notice that an item is still inaccessible after an embargo was scheduled to lift, please contact Fondren Digital Scholarship Services using this webform.
Can my files be downloaded by others?
Yes, the repository is set up to allow people to download files, except in cases such as streaming audio or video files. For each item, the repository includes information describing terms of use.
Do I retain copyright over repository content?
Yes, copyright owners retain copyright over their materials. By putting material into the Rice Research Repository you grant Rice a non-exclusive license to distribute it, which means that you are authorizing Rice to make it available but can also distribute it through other mechanisms. See the text of the license for more information.
It is recommended but not required that materials be made available with a Creative Commons license. Authors retain copyright, but the licenses provide a standardized way to grant the public permission to use the work.
For additional information on copyright and licensing, please see this library guide.
What happens to my materials if I leave Rice?
Your materials will remain available in R3 and will be maintained for the long-term. You may also export your materials so that you can take them with you.
What if I revise a paper I've deposited in the repository? Can I add the new version or replace the old with the new?
New versions of materials should be entered as new items, not as replacements. This is because citations may already have been created that point to the earlier version. Please contact Fondren Digital Scholarship Services using this form if revisions/updates are needed.
If I have published or plan to publish an article, can I still put it into the repository?
Increasingly, publishers are allowing authors to place online pre-print (pre-peer-reviewed) and even post-print (post-peer-reviewed) versions online. Check with your publisher or visit SHERPA's Publisher copyright policies & self-archiving web site.
How do I stop email notifications from R-3?
If you would like to edit or cancel email notifications for specific collections or communities in R-3, you must be logged into the system. When logged in, navigate to the user profile icon at the top of the page and select “Subscriptions.” Delete or edit subscriptions. Edit can be used to change frequency of email notifications.
Is the repository peer reviewed?
Peer review is not a part of the deposit process, although some quality control is conducted.
What software does the repository run on?
The Rice Research Repository currently runs on DSpace (version 7.x), an open source software package that captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and redistributes an organization's research material in digital formats. Research institutions worldwide use DSpace for a variety of digital archiving and publishing needs. An active community of developers, researchers, and users worldwide contribute their expertise to the DSpace community. For more information about DSpace, visit the DSpace Wiki.
Whom should I contact with questions about depositing Theses and Dissertations?
Rice University's Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies manages thesis and dissertation deposits. The office also maintains a Candidacy & Defense, Frequently Asked Questions page.