How to add research outputs to the VRE
A video showing how to add a research output to the VRE is available.
What should I include?
You should include anything you want to display in the university’s research repository WestminsterResearch, which in turn feeds your list of research outputs of your staff profile.
You should add items as soon as they are accepted for publication, or if not formally published, as soon as they are complete. Do include older research outputs that are not yet listed.
You can choose from many different research types of either text, or non-text based outputs, including journal articles, chapters, books, conference papers, practice based works such as exhibitions, digital and visual media, artefacts, designs, and PhD theses. There is also an option to create an overarching portfolio, or collection record.
Attachments
For journal articles and published conference proceedings, you must include a copy of your final accepted author manuscript and the date of acceptance as soon as possible, and no later than three months, after acceptance. For all other output types, adding attachments is strongly encouraged where permitted.
What is an Accepted Author Manuscript (AAM)?
Your accepted manuscript is the text as accepted for publication, including any amendments required after peer review. This will not include the publisher’s typesetting or formatting, such as journal branding or pagination. The repository staff will add a University of Westminster cover sheet, which will include any specific text required by your publisher to the full-text attachment. They will also apply any embargoes that are stipulated; after which time the files become available for download in WestminsterResearch to an external audience.
How do I add an output?
On logging into the VRE using your usual University credentials, select ‘My Research Outputs’, and then the ‘Add output’ button on the right-hand side. Complete the form with as much detail as possible, then select ‘save’ and ‘submit’. If an item is considered ‘in press’ or ‘online first’ you will be able to note this and update final details later. Leave any fields you are unsure about blank, the repository team will check details of the output before making it publicly viewable.
A demonstration video of how to add a research output to the repository section of the VRE is available.
Why should I add an output?
Open access (OA) publishing is the means by which peer-reviewed research is made freely available online, with as few restrictions on how the works may be re-used as possible.
By making your research outputs open access, your work will be visible by those who do not have institutional subscriptions to journals or e-books, thereby increasing the reach of your research. Open access publishing does not circumvent peer review. Outputs are still peer-reviewed and published in the traditional way, but we are able to share the Accepted Author Manuscripts (AAM) of those that aren’t openly available through green open access.
By adding your outputs and making AAMs open, you will be complying with the University of Westminster Open Access Policy, the REF Open Access Policy and it may help you comply with your funder’s policy.
Doctoral Theses
A condition of the award of the degree, requires that an electronic copy of the thesis be stored in WestminsterResearch (the University’s online repository), and EThOS (the British Library’s online thesis repository) unless an exemption is granted. Where there is a wish for the thesis or part of the thesis to remain confidential for a period of time after completion of the work, the approval of the Graduate School Board must be obtained, normally during the APR process. Details of the rules relating to embargos, which may be considered for the purposes of: a) Exploitation of Intellectual Property; b) To permit the publication of a research output, e.g. monograph; or c) To protect the wellbeing of a person involved in politically or security sensitive research, can be found in the Research Degree Handbook.
ORCID and Publications Router feeds
Publications Router
Publications Router gathers information from content providers such as publishers and passes it on to institutions to help capture research articles onto their systems. An integration to the Virtual Research Environment (VRE), means newly published articles will be sent directly to your account in the VRE, and you may receive a task, or the repository administrator may claim it on your behalf.
Only a few publishers send through a full-text attachment. In order to make the research open, if you haven’t already created a record in the VRE with the author manuscript (AAM) attached, or the published PDF, then you will need to add it to the new record.
A detailed Publications Router guide is available in the VRE, under the Repository of Research Outputs section on the left hand side. If the system makes an incorrect match, you can reject the record, and it won’t appear.
See the Publications Router blog post for further information.
ORCID
Your ORCID allows you to store together all your research outputs within your account and share them between platforms. The VRE is now able to push details of new outputs to your ORCID account or receive data from your central ORCID account. Details of how to link your VRE account to ORCID is available. Records will be imported to the VRE in the same was as they are for Publications Router (above).
Detailed ORCID guidance is available in the VRE, under the Repository of Research Outputs section on the left hand side.
See the ORCID blog post for further information.
Contact
If you require further help, or information, please email [email protected].