SIMAD Research Repository

SIMAD University Research Repository Policy

Official institutional platform for collecting, preserving, and disseminating scholarly outputs.

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish the principles, governance, procedures, and responsibilities for the management and operation of the SIMAD University Research Repository as the official institutional platform for collecting, preserving, organizing, managing, and disseminating approved scholarly and research outputs of SIMAD University.

This policy is intended to:

  • Provide a framework for the submission, management, access, and preservation of repository content
  • Strengthen institutional visibility, knowledge management, and long-term preservation of academic outputs
  • Support research dissemination, institutional memory, and academic reporting
  • Ensure consistency, quality, compliance, and accountability in repository operations

2. Policy Statement

SIMAD University establishes and maintains an institutional research repository as the official digital archive for approved scholarly and research outputs produced by its staff, students, faculties, institutes, centers, and other authorized contributors. The Repository operates in accordance with this policy and other relevant university rules concerning research, academic quality, copyright, records management, ICT use, and institutional governance.

The Repository promotes preservation, discoverability, responsible access, and institutional visibility while ensuring compliance with legal, ethical, and academic requirements.

3. Governance and Oversight

3.1 Institutional Oversight

The SIMAD University Research Repository shall operate under the governance framework of SIMAD University.

3.2 Oversight Structure

The Repository shall be overseen through the following reporting structure:

1. Rector
2. Deputy Rector for Research and Consultancy
3. Director, Center for Research and Development
4. Repository Coordinator

3.3 Operational Management

The day-to-day management of the Repository shall be carried out by the Repository Coordinator, under the supervision of the Director, Center for Research and Development.

4. Repository Content

4.1 Eligible Content

The Repository is authorized to host, preserve, manage, and index academic materials generated by SIMAD University staff, students, faculty members, institutes, centers, and other authorized contributors, including, but not limited to:

  • Peer-reviewed publications
  • Conference papers
  • Working papers
  • Policy and knowledge briefs
  • Books and book chapters
  • Case

The inclusion of materials in the Repository shall be subject to institutional approval, submission requirements, metadata standards, copyright compliance, and applicable access or embargo conditions.

4.2 Content Approval

Only content that has been authorized, approved, or accepted in accordance with university procedures may be deposited into the Repository.

4.3 Exclusions

  • Materials that violate copyright or intellectual property rights
  • Confidential, classified, or restricted materials not approved for repository deposit
  • Content that breaches ethical, legal, or institutional requirements

5. Submission and Deposit

5.1 Submission Responsibility: Deposits may be made by Authorized administrative or repository staff.

5.2 Submission Requirements

  • The approved digital file or files
  • Complete and accurate metadata
  • Confirmation of submission authorization
  • Any required access, embargo, or copyright information.

5.3 Review of Submission

All submissions shall be subject to repository screening and processing to ensure:

• Completeness
• Relevance
• Compliance
• Metadata accuracy
• Authorization

6. Metadata Standards

6.1 Metadata Requirement

All repository items shall be accompanied by standardized metadata to support discoverability, retrieval, reporting, and preservation.

6.2 Metadata Quality

The Repository Coordinator shall ensure that metadata is:

  • Accurate
  • Consistent
  • Complete
  • Indexed

7. Access and Use

7.1 Access Principle

The Repository supports broad and responsible access to approved materials, subject to applicable copyright, embargo, confidentiality, and institutional rules.

1. Open Access
2. Restricted Access
3. Embargoed Access
4. Metadata-Only Access

7.3 Access Determination

  • Copyright and licensing requirements
  • Institutional policy
  • Publication agreements
  • Author permissions
  • Academic or ethical restrictions

7.4 User Responsibilities

Users of the Repository shall use repository content responsibly and in accordance with applicable copyright, citation, and academic integrity requirements.

9. Embargo and Restricted Content

9.1 Embargo triggers:

  • Publisher agreements
  • Funding obligations
  • Academic examination requirements
  • Confidentiality considerations
  • Institutional directives

9.2 Restricted Access: Restricted access may be applied where content cannot be made openly available but may still be preserved for institutional record and reporting purposes.

9.3 Duration: Embargo periods and access restrictions shall be recorded and reviewed in accordance with approved procedures.

10. Preservation and Retention

10.1 Preservation Commitment: SIMAD University shall preserve repository materials in a secure and sustainable digital environment to the extent reasonably possible.

10.2 Preservation Measures

  • Secure storage
  • Backup arrangements
  • File organization and version control
  • Metadata preservation
  • System maintenance and monitoring

10.3 Retention: Repository items shall be retained as part of the institutional scholarly record unless removal is justified under this policy or related procedures.

11. Withdrawal and Removal

11.1 Grounds for Withdrawal:

  • The item was deposited in error
  • Copyright or legal issues arise
  • The content breaches ethical or institutional standards
  • Serious inaccuracies or compliance issues are identified

11.2 Record Retention: Where content is removed, the metadata record may be retained where appropriate for institutional audit and record purposes.

11.3 Approval: Withdrawal decisions shall be made by the appropriate authority under the supervision of the Director, Center for Research and Development.

12. Quality Assurance

The Repository shall maintain quality assurance procedures for:

    Metadata accuracy
    Content authorization
    System usability
    Documentation consistency
    Reporting & Review

13. Monitoring and Reporting

The Repository Coordinator shall prepare periodic reports on:

  • Submission volumes
  • Content growth
  • Access and usage trends
  • Metadata quality
  • Operational performance
  • Issues requiring management attention