University of Baghdad Digital Repository Policy

1.     Introduction

 

• Overview

The University of Baghdad Digital Repository is the university’s official digital repository. It aims to collect, preserve, and provide access to the scholarly and research output of the university’s affiliates. The repository includes scientific articles, research papers, book chapters, university theses and dissertations, journals published by the university, and other related activities, in addition to information on the researcher and means of contacting them, and thus serves as an electronic curriculum vitae for the researcher.

• Objective

The University of Baghdad Digital Repository Policy aims to regulate the collection, deposit, preservation, and dissemination of the scholarly and research output of the university’s affiliates, in a manner that ensures: supporting open access, promoting the dissemination of knowledge, and enhancing the university’s academic visibility; preserving scholarly output over the long term in accordance with approved technical and security controls; standardizing deposit procedures and metadata in order to improve indexing quality and ease of retrieval and citation; regulating copyright and licensing and reducing the risk of legal violations; and providing the university with an official reference for monitoring scientific research indicators and academic output.

• Scope

This policy applies to the University of Baghdad Digital Repository in all its sections, collections, and digital content; to the categories of persons authorized to deposit (faculty members, researchers, research staff, and postgraduate students); to the types of content covered; and to the metadata associated with the content. The policy does not cover content that infringes copyright, contains personal or sensitive data, or consists of non-academic materials.

     2.   Definitions

Term	Definition
University of Baghdad Digital Repository	An official electronic platform of the university used to collect, preserve, and organize scholarly and research output, and then provide access to it in accordance with defined controls.
Scholarly and Research Outputs	Everything produced by researchers and affiliates in the scholarly domain, such as: scientific articles, research papers, book chapters, conference proceedings, university theses and dissertations, journals published by the university, and other related activities.
Journals Published by the University	Scholarly periodicals issued by the university or its constituent units, which publish research papers and articles in accordance with their approved publication procedures.
Researcher’s Electronic Curriculum Vitae	A page/profile within the repository that introduces the researcher and presents their scholarly output, information, and means of contact in an organized manner.
Providing Access	Making the content, or its metadata, available for viewing, reading, or downloading (as permitted by the policy and applicable rights).
Depositing Information and Scholarly Output	The user’s uploading of scholarly content to the repository and entering the information related to it, so that it can be organized and displayed within the system.
Copyright	Legal rights that protect scholarly work and determine who holds the right to publish, copy, or make it available to others, and what is permitted and what is not.
Licenses	The terms of use set by the rights holder or the publisher, which explain how the content may be used (such as reading, sharing, or reuse within specified limits).
Open Access	Making scholarly content freely available to the public online, while permitting its use within clear controls, thereby promoting the dissemination of knowledge.
Restricted Access	A status in which the full text is not available to everyone due to copyright or other restrictions; in such cases, only the metadata and links to external sources may be displayed.
Metadata	Information that describes the content and helps in organizing it and searching for it, such as the author’s name, title, abstract, keywords, digital identifier number, links, and others.
Retrieval	The ability to find content within the repository and access it through searching or browsing using metadata.
Citation	Correctly referencing a scholarly source when it is used in a research paper or report, so that others can identify the source and consult it.
Digital Identifier Number	A unique number/identifier used to identify a scholarly item distinctively and to help access it in a stable and reliable manner.
Use and Reuse	Benefiting from the repository’s content within the terms of the licenses; reuse means using the content again (for example, in a research paper or educational material) while complying with the terms.
Administrative Access Privileges	Special privileges granted to administrators to manage the repository (such as supervision, review, organization, and protection procedures) as needed.

III. General Provisions

Copyright and Licensing: Any user within the University of Baghdad is entitled to use the digital repository and to deposit their information and scholarly output, after ensuring their compliance with copyright and licensing requirements before uploading any content. Priority is given to depositing research that permits open access. Where restrictions exist, only the metadata is published, together with links to the original source.

Open Access: The University of Baghdad Digital Repository is committed to promoting open access to research and contributing to the dissemination of knowledge and academic collaboration. Research is published in full text wherever possible. Where restrictions or restricted access apply, metadata and links to external sources are provided.

Deposit of Research: Faculty members, researchers, and postgraduate students at the University of Baghdad are permitted to deposit their work in the digital repository in accordance with the required metadata, both mandatory and optional.

Metadata Management: All research is organized and indexed in accordance with recognized academic standards. Metadata includes information such as the author’s name, title, abstract, keywords, digital identifier number, links, and others. The account holder within the digital repository is permitted to edit their metadata.

Data Preservation: The University of Baghdad Digital Repository ensures the long-term preservation of data through secure storage systems and regular backups. Measures are taken to protect data from loss or damage, with continuous updates to the technical infrastructure.

Use and Reuse: The repository enables users to benefit from its content in accordance with the terms of use licenses, and freely available research may be reused provided that the source is correctly cited and the publisher’s copyright requirements are observed. The university does not guarantee the accuracy of the scholarly content, as responsibility lies with the author.

Security and Privacy: The University of Baghdad is committed to safeguarding the data of depositors and users under strict security and privacy policies. Personal data is not shared without the user’s consent, and the repository is secured against potential cyber threats, with the application of administrative access privileges and the principle of “least privilege.”

Credibility and Responsibility: All users must maintain integrity when depositing research and information and ensure the accuracy of the data provided (for example, avoiding plagiarism, falsification, and data manipulation), and must ensure that data is updated periodically. Depositors bear full responsibility for the content they upload and must adhere to ethical and academic standards.

Technical Support: The University of Baghdad Digital Repository provides technical support to all depositors to ensure ease of access to content and smooth research deposit processes. Users may contact the support team in the university’s constituent units or the Website Division at the University Presidency for assistance with technical issues or inquiries related to the repository.

Policy Updates: The policies of the University of Baghdad Digital Repository are reviewed and updated regularly to ensure compliance with current academic and technical standards, and are announced on the official website of the University of Baghdad and the digital repository website. Continued use of the repository constitutes acceptance of the updates.