BIROn - Birkbeck Institutional Research Online
Formerly Birkbeck ePrints, BIROn is a digital archive of Birkbeck staff's published research.
From Monday 3rd October 2011, deposit is mandatory.
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Quick FAQ
What is Open Access?
- “Open Access (OA) is free, immediate, permanent online access to the full text of research articles for anyone, webwide.” You can read more about it here. Depositors give permission to keep their work in a current format and to freely distribute electronic copies - nothing else.
Why should I deposit in BIROn?
- Enhance your academic standing and widen your audience. BIROn's data is indexed by search engines and content aggregators like Google and OAIster. Your work is available world-wide.
- Preserve your research in a backed-up, searchable space. BIROn assigns stable URLs so your work has a permanent home.
- Enable access if the library doesn't subscribe to a journal – BIROn works around rising subscription costs and restricted budgets which could stymie your students' access.
- Link to the version of record. BIROn always provides a web link to the definitive published version where available.
- Fulfil your obligations to research funders, who increasingly mandate Open Access to research output.
How long will it take?
- First time users need five minutes to register, and five minutes to deposit their item. Only the five starred fields are mandatory. The more you use it, the quicker it gets.
What's in it for Birkbeck?
- It Demonstrates the breadth of research carried out at Birkbeck.
- It Frees work from access barriers and subscriptions.
- It Provides a secure, central archive for research in perpetuity.
- It Accelerates the dissemination of research.
- It Allows part-time and distance learners to access your work.
How do I use BIROn?
- You need to register in order to deposit, but anyone can search and access the live content from the front page. View a complete Deposit FAQ and a Search FAQ.
Who can I contact?
- For technical, copyright or general matters related to BIROn in the first instance, please contact Paul Rigg.
- Alternatively, you can contact your Subject Librarian:
- Science: Sue Godsell
- History, History of Art, Politics and Sociology: Aubrey Greenwood
- Law & Psychosocial Studies: Bob Burns
- Geography, English, Languages and Philosophy: Jackie Madden
- Business, Economics & Informatics: Aidan Smith
- Media & Cultural Studies; Social Policy & Education: Elizabeth Charles
Download this FAQ as a PDF
