There is a complete FAQ for the Knowledge Bank. The questions/answers listed below may be of particular interest to OARDC graduate students submitting posters to the Knowledge Bank.
What is The Knowledge Bank?
The Ohio State University Knowledge Bank proposes to create a knowledge management system for the university that will encourage and support the creation, organization, storage, dissemination and preservation of the institution’s digital information assets. It is intended to be both a “repository” that captures the intellectual output of the university produced in a digital format, as well as a “referatory” providing links to digital objects.
What benefits do I realize by placing content I have created in the Knowledge Bank?
An important advantage to submitting material to the Knowledge Bank is immediate distribution of the research to a worldwide audience. Searchers can locate works of interest in the Knowledge Bank by searching Google. In addition, each item in the digital repository is assigned a “persistent identifier” which is a permanent, stable, URL that can be used in a citation. It provides a web presence for your work and makes a commitment to preserve the work, migrating it to another platform if and when it is needed.
What about copyright and intellectual property issues?
The Knowledge Bank assumes that a contributor is the copyright holder. The Knowledge Bank support team, however, understands and appreciates concerns about copyright and intellectual property and will assist communities and/or contributors with individual needs.
Can I restrict access to my work?
While the Knowledge Bank encourages and promotes open access, there are circumstances when it may be necessary to restrict access to an item in a community’s collection. The Knowledge Bank can limit or completely block access.
Can I make changes to material I have put in the Knowledge Bank?
The repository is an archive for finished works. You are not able to edit material once it has been submitted to the archive. Just as in printed material with different editions, you can submit an updated version.
Can I submit my research to the Knowledge Bank and a publisher?
The Knowledge Bank assumes that you are the copyright holder for your research. If you submit research to a publisher, it is important that you understand what your rights are and the rights of the publisher. Some journal publishers, for example, allow you to post a pre-print or a post-print to an institutional repository, others may not. You should understand the policies of the press or publisher and pay attention to the forms you are asked to sign. You may want to modify a contract to ensure your right to use your work as you see fit, including posting it to an institutional repository like the Knowledge Bank.
Does submission to the Knowledge Bank constitute "prior publication"?
Each publisher of peer-reviewed journals will have its own set of requirements and expectations for publishing original research. It is important to be aware of any prohibitions that might exist within an intended publication venue. However, many publishers recognize the importance of informal methods of pre-publication communication, which include conference presentations, posters, etc., as part of the scholarly communication process. Poster presentations are not subject to peer-review and would not constitute full publication of the data. Therefore, it is our assertion that deposit of materials in the Knowledge Bank, as an institutional repository for the archiving and management of the digital information assets created by OSU faculty, staff and students, does not constitute prior publication of unpublished research. However, we are not responsible for any requirements that may be imposed by publishers.
Submitting your work to the Knowledge Bank may constitute public disclosure and may affect patentability. You should consult the OSU Office of Research's Technology Licensing & Commercialization with questions regarding patent procedures.
For further assistance, send e-mail to libkbhelp@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu or call the Libraries at 614-292-6151 and ask for Knowledge Bank support. Or you may contact Gwen Short, OARDC Library, 330-263-3773