Go to main content

Frequently Asked Questions

What is UGA Open Scholar?

UGA Open Scholar is the institutional and research data repository for the University of Georgia. The platform is the digital archive for public-facing scholarly outputs generated by UGA faculty, staff, and students. It is designed to ensure long-term preservation, accessibility, and dissemination of the university’s academic content to support research, teaching, and public engagement.

Return to top


Who can deposit materials?

All active UGA faculty, staff, and students with a MyID account are eligible to deposit public-facing research outputs in UGA Open Scholar.

Return to top


What are the requirements for depositing materials?

Scope: Content must be scholarly, educational, or research-oriented and align with the institution’s mission. Content must also be generated or collected as part of research conducted under the institution’s auspices.

Depositor Agreement: Submissions must be authored, co-authored, or sponsored by members of the University, and depositors must hold the necessary rights to submit their work and ensure compliance with laws, policies, and ethical guidelines (e.g., copyright law, third-party licensing agreements, funder mandates, privacy and confidentiality considerations). Additionally, depositors grant the University of Georgia a non-exclusive, perpetual right to use the materials for non-commercial purposes.

Format: Items must be submitted in a digital format and meet the repository's technical specifications. Restrictions on file format and size may be applicable.

Metadata: All deposits must include appropriate metadata to enhance discoverability, usability, and to meet funder requirements where applicable. Depositors must provide sufficient documentation and metadata to support future data usability. (See additional information provided in the section on persistent identifiers.)

Size Limitations: The maximum file size for upload is 5GB per file. Contact RCDM regarding files larger than 5GB for assistance.

Licensing: UGA Open Scholar aims to provide open access to deposited materials whenever possible. Authors/creators are encouraged to apply open access Creative Commons licenses to facilitate broader use and reuse (e.g., CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-NC).

Additional terms and conditions for use:

Return to top


What types of materials can be deposited?

UGA Open Scholar is designed to house publications and research data that include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

Scholarly Materials

Research Data

Return to top


What types of materials are considered out of scope?

UGA Open Scholar is NOT designed to house non-public research outputs, including materials containing sensitive or restricted information (e.g., personally identifiable information, protected health information, export-controlled information).

Return to top


How do I submit scholarly materials?

We have published a deposit checklist and step-by-step instructions for depositing scholarly materials online.

Return to top

How do I submit research data?

We have published a deposit checklist and step-by-step instructions for depositing research data online.

Return to top

Can I use or create persistent identifiers (PIDs)?

Yes! Support for persistent identifiers is available in UGA Open Scholar to ensure persistent access and citation. Depositors can link to existing persistent identifiers, such as their ORCID ID or an existing handle (e.g., DOI, ISBN). Alternatively, submitters can mint DOIs for publications and data sets if one does not exist.

Return to top

Can I license my materials?

Yes! Support for Creative Commons and Open Data Commons licenses are available in UGA Open Scholar. Additional information is available on our licensing information page.

Return to top


How long will my materials be preserved and retained?

The University Libraries commit to the long-term preservation of research data but do not guarantee perpetual access. Data may be copied, migrated, converted to other media/formats, removed, or deaccessioned under exceptional circumstances (e.g., legal or ethical concerns), and such actions will be documented.
Return to top

Can I update a record after depositing materials?

Yes, the UGA Open Scholar allows depositors to update records and log changes at a system level. Depositors should also ensure documentation and metadata are updated to support future usability.

Return to top


Who do I contact for questions or support?

UGA Open Scholar is administered by Research and Computational Data Management in the UGA Libraries. Please reach out with any questions.

Return to top