Repository deposit guidance
Deposit content into Uganda Christian University Digital Institutional Repository
The Uganda Christian University Digital Institutional Repository preserves, manages, and provides access to UCU research outputs, scholarly publications, theses, institutional records, and other approved digital materials.
Overview of repository systems
To streamline how researchers, students, schools, faculties, departments, and administrative units manage research information and meet open access, funder, and institutional requirements, the repository works alongside relevant UCU systems and library workflows.
Repository staff review submitted records, check metadata quality, confirm deposit permissions where required, and make approved items discoverable through the repository, search engines, scholarly indexes, and long-term preservation workflows.
What can be deposited into the repository?
Content deposited into the repository should be connected to Uganda Christian University. Connected content includes research outputs authored by current or former UCU researchers, students, and staff; outputs of research conducted at UCU; outputs arising from UCU-hosted conferences, journals, projects, or collaborations; and materials created using UCU facilities or institutional support.
Before requesting a deposit, please check that:
- you have the right to deposit and share the material;
- the material is in a suitable electronic format;
- the item has clear title, author, date, faculty, department, and subject information;
- any copyright, publisher, funder, embargo, or confidentiality requirements have been declared.
Open access and scholarly outputs
Scholarly outputs such as journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, reports, working papers, technical papers, and other academic publications may be deposited through a mediated repository service.
Submit the bibliographic details, accepted manuscript or final file where allowed, and any publisher or funder conditions to the repository team through the feedback form.
Research data
Research datasets and supporting materials may be accepted where they are suitable for publication, preservation, citation, and reuse. Depositors should provide clear documentation, file descriptions, ownership information, and any ethical or access restrictions.
Large, sensitive, or complex datasets should be discussed with the repository team before submission so that access, licensing, metadata, and preservation requirements can be agreed.
Theses and dissertations
Theses, dissertations, and other student research outputs may be deposited where they have been approved by Uganda Christian University and cleared for repository access.
Depositors should provide the final approved electronic copy, author details, programme, faculty or school, supervisor information where applicable, year of award, abstract, keywords, and any embargo requirements.
Batch uploads
Where material is extensive or complex, the repository team may support a batch upload service. This is suitable for organised groups of records such as departmental reports, digitised collections, conference outputs, journal back issues, image collections, or historical institutional materials.
For a batch upload, the repository team will normally need:
- a spreadsheet containing metadata that describes each item for upload;
- the digital files that match the records in the spreadsheet;
- rights, access, embargo, and licensing information for the uploaded material.
Once the spreadsheet and files are reviewed, repository staff will upload approved material and report back when records are available online.
Self-archiving
In some cases, authorised users may be allowed to submit material directly to selected repository collections. Access is granted by collection and is normally limited to approved staff, researchers, departments, or project teams.
If you need deposit access or would like a new community or collection created, contact the repository team with:
- the name of the faculty, school, department, project, centre, or institutional unit;
- a short description of the content the community or collection will contain;
- the names and email addresses of staff who should manage or submit content;
- any access restrictions, embargoes, or copyright conditions.
How to request a deposit
- Prepare the file in a stable electronic format such as PDF, CSV, XLSX, DOCX, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, MP4, or another agreed preservation format.
- Confirm that you have permission to deposit the work and disclose any publisher, funder, ethical, or confidentiality limits.
- Collect the required metadata, including title, author, date, abstract, keywords, department, faculty, and related identifiers where available.
- Contact the repository team through the feedback form and describe the item or collection you want to deposit.
- Respond to any metadata, rights, or file-quality questions during review.