Kyoto University Library Network

Eligible for Application

Q1: What is the significance of making articles open access on KURENAI?

A1: The promotion of open access through institutional repositories such as KURENAI guarantees that the research outputs are made open access both inside and outside the university, contributing to the development of academic research and fulfilling the university's responsibility to society by disclosing information. Furthermore, with the Article Processing Charge (APC) continuing to rise, faculty members have the opportunity to increase the accessibility of their research results without incurring any financial burden.

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Q2: If an article is made open access on KURENAI, will it be included in research databases?

A2: The articles will be included in databases (e.g., Google Scholar, CiNii, and WorldCat). In addition, they regularly link to the PubMed, and for articles with PMIDs, a link to KURENAI will be displayed on the PubMed page. These inter-system links allow for wide access from both Japan and overseas.

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Q3: What happens to articles published on KURENAI if I am transferred to another institution?

A3: Institutional repositories such as KURENAI are platforms for permanently storing and freely publishing the research outputs of researchers during their tenure. Even if a researcher moves to another institution, data once deposited will not be deleted. In addition, articles published on KURENAI are assigned a permanent URL (handle name and DOI), ensuring permanent access.

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Eligible for Application

Q4: After I transferred to Kyoto University, an article I wrote at my previous university was published in a journal. Can I deposit this article in KURENAI?

A4: According to the Kyoto University Research Information Repository Operational Guidelines, KURENAI is limited to depositing "research and educational outputs produced at Kyoto University," so unfortunately, that is not eligible for application. In principle, whether an article is produced at Kyoto University is determined by the affiliation information of the author listed on the article.

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Q5: Can I deposit an article co-authored with a researcher who belongs another institution in KURENAI?

A5: If any of author are affiliated with Kyoto University, the article will be eligible for deposit into KURENAI.

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Q6: Can I deposit other outputs in KURENAI?

A6: KURENAI accepts all academic achievements and intellectual products that are the achievements of educational and research activities at Kyoto University. Please consider actively depositing them.
*For further information on the Publish Research Data (Evidence Data for Articles), click here.

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Application Procedure (co-authored articles)

Q7: Is consent from co-author(s) required to deposit an article into KURENAI?

A7: To avoid any troubles on publication onto a repository and to maintain trust among co-authors, please be sure to obtain consent from all co-authors before the application.

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Q8: What is the procedure for obtaining consent from co-author(s)?

A8: We do not specify any particular method, so you may obtain consent from co-authors in any way you like. There is also no need to submit documents to us. We offer the template (in both Japanese and English) for obtaining consent from co-authors.

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Q9: For an article co-authored by Kyoto University faculty members, should the corresponding author submit the KURENAI application?

A9: As long as consent has been obtained from all co-authors, any author may apply.

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Application Procedure (copyrights)

Q10: When depositing an article published in a journal onto KURENAI, how can I check whether there are any copyright issues?

A10: In articles published in journals, in most cases the copyright is transferred to the journal's publisher, such as a publishing company or an academic society. Whether or not you can deposit and make the article publicly available in a repository depends on the copyright policy of the publisher. It is often described in the journal's submission guidelines, copyright guidelines, and copyright transfer agreement agreed upon at the time of submission. Besides, many publishers publish the scope of permission on their websites.For further information on what you need to know about copyright before depositing your article in KURENAI, click here.

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Q11: Can I get support from the library in confirming the copyright of article published in a journal?

A11: Many publishers describe their copyright policies on their websites, so we search the information. However, if the copyright policy is not described or if we are unable to make a judgment based on the policy, we may ask you for the contents of the copyright transfer agreement you agreed to when submitting your article, contact information for the publishers.

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Q12: Won't there be problems such as reader confusion if I publish the final author's manuscript instead of the publisher's version, which is the final research output?

A12: The final author's manuscript is the version that has been accepted after peer-review, and the content is considered to be equivalent to that of publisher's version. Please understand that we are promoting open access to research outputs under the respects to the rights of the publishers and academic societies that publish journals. On KURENAI, we always clearly indicate in the metadata that the content in question is the final author's manuscript, not the publisher's version. In addition, if the publisher's version has a DOI, we will publish the final author's manuscript in a form that allows easy access to the publisher's version via a link, so we believe that there will be almost no problems that cause confusion.

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Q13: In the case of an article published in a journal, can only the final author's manuscript be deposited in KURENAI, and can the publisher's version not be deposited?

A13: It all depends on the publisher's copyright policy. Many publishers have a policy that the final author's manuscript can be deposited, but not to publisher's version. Some allow the deposition of the publisher's version, in which case you can deposit the publisher's version in KURENAI. If a publisher has a policy that allows either the final author's manuscript or the publisher's version to be deposited in the repository, priority is given to the deposition of the publisher's version, which is the more final result, in principle.

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Q14: When depositing the publisher's version in KURENAI, do I need to provide a file for the application?

A14: In principle, we download the file from the publisher's website, so you need not to provide the file. However, if we cannot obtain the file, which in the case that Kyoto University does not subscribe to a journal, we may ask you to provide the file.

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Q15: If I select the paid open access option when submitting my manuscript, can I also publish the publisher's version onto KURENAI?

A15: It depends on the publisher's copyright policy. Some publishers may not allow the full text of their articles to be made available for free in institutional repositories, even if the open access option is selected. Gold OA articles that are open access under a Creative Commons (CC) license that allows redistribution are investigated by the library in accordance with the Implementation Guidelines on the Kyoto University Open Access Policy, and are regularly published onto KURENAI.

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Q16: If a publisher has set an embargo period (a period during which publication on repositories is prohibited) in their policy, can I only apply the KURENAI Deposit System after this period has passed?

A16: Applications for the KURENAI publication can be submitted at any time after the article is accepted by the publisher. If the application is submitted during the embargo period, the full text will be registered in KURENAI with the setting kept confidential during the embargo period.

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Q17: If I publish a content on KURENAI, does the copyright be transferred to the library?

A17: Copyright of the contents in KURENAI belongs to the authors or the publishers of the contents , not to the Kyoto University Library. The Contents in KURENAI, unless explicitly stated, are only for personal use or citations as defined in the Copyright Law . For any other purposes beyond that, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder(s).

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Application Procedure (the KURENAI Deposit System)

Q18: I was unable to log in to the KURENAI Deposit System.

A18: The KURENAI Deposit System is only available by faculty members who have an SPS-ID. You cannot log in with an ECS-ID issued to students, etc. If you don't have an SPS-ID, please submit the Kyoto University Research Information Repository Registration Form.

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Q19: I am not a full-time faculty member who is subject to the Kyoto University Open Access Policy. Can I use the KURENAI Deposit System?

A19: The KURENAI Deposit System is available to everyone who have a valid SPS-ID. Please feel free to use it.

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Q20: The list in the item "Reuse Data" displays articles published when I belonged to another university. Do these also need to be deposited into KURENAI?

A20: The KURENAI Deposit System automatically harvests article data from researchmap and Web of Science to cut down on work for faculty members who are subject to the Kyoto University Open Access Policy. As a result, the articles that are outside of the target to be published on KURENAI are also displayed. We apologize for the inconvenience, but please click each trash can icon on the right side of the Reuse data list to remove them.

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Q21: I submitted the wrong file when I applied to the KURENAI Deposit System. How can I replace into the correct one?

A21: Please contact us via the "Inquiries" button in the KURENAI Deposit System or e-mail and we will correct the system state so that you can reattach the file.

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Q22: I want to submit my article to the KURENAI Deposit System. Which version should I submit?

A22: If you are unsure, please submit the final author's manuscript. We will search for the copyright policy based on the information you provide. In order to make the search smooth, we would appreciate it if you could provide in the comments section the details of the Copyright Transfer Agreements at the submission/publication and the contact information of the publisher.

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Q23: When I published my article, I chose the open access (OA) option and made it OA under the Creative Commons licenses (CC). In this case, should I submit the publisher version to the KURENAI Deposit System?

A23: You can submit the publisher version. We will check the license before publishing it on KURENAI. So, if you are unsure, please submit the final author's manuscript when applying. In accordance with the Implementation Guidelines on the Kyoto University Open Access Policy, we search for the "gold OA articles," which are published under CC licenses that allow redistribution, regularly making them open access via KURENAI.

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Q24: In what cases do I apply for the "Waiver"?

A24: The Kyoto University Open Access Policy stipulates that if there are unavoidable reasons, the research outputs will not be subject to the policy if a faculty member requests the waiver. If there are applicable reasons such as "unable to obtain consent from co-authors" or "unable to obtain permission from the publisher," you can complete the process without publishing them on KURENAI. In such a case, please click the trash can icons on the right side of the Reuse data list in the KURENAI Deposit System to remove them.

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Q25: I received an email from the library entitled "Request to make your article(s) open access in KURENAI." Should I check the publisher's policy for the application?

A25: Faculty members who are subject to the Kyoto University Open Access Policy will be asked to deposit their article(s) on KURENAI via e-mail randomly. We will request your articles for which the copyright policy of the publisher has already been confirmed. Therefore, you need not to confirm the policy again. If you are unsure, please submit the final author's manuscript when applying.

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Application Procedure (others)

Q27: Can I assign a DOI to the content I deposit into KURENAI?

A27: It depends on the type of content. For doctoral dissertations, DOIs are assigned to all manuscripts except those for which only the article information is registered. In bulletin articles, DOIs are assigned if requested by the publisher. For other contents, DOIs are assigned if requested when registering them, but there are cases in which a DOI cannot be assigned because the content being registered does not meet the conditions for assigning a DOI. If you want a DOI, please contact us when applying.

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Q28: I have submitted an article to a bulletin issued on campus. Should I also take any steps as the author to deposit it into KURENAI?

A28: If the bulletin has signed a memorandum with the Library Network and is available as an e-journal on KURENAI, the publisher will handle the application procedure for KURENAI, so no application is required from the author. If the bulletin is not available as an e-journal on KURENAI, the author must apply for application in the same way as for articles. Please contact the publisher or editor-in-chief of the bulletin to find out whether the bulletin in question is available as an e-journal on KURENAI.

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Application and Publication (files)

Q30: I am preparing the final author's manuscript, but I only have a Word file and individual image files. In this case, what format will the files be published on KURENAI?

A30: You can submit your data in any format, but we will convert the data to a PDF file before publishing on KURENAI.

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Q31: I only have a printed version of the article. In this case, what format will the file be published on KURENAI?

A31: We can digitize the booklet with a scanner and create a PDF file for publishing on KURENAI. Please contact us when you apply. The PDF file is processed with OCR (Optical Character Recognition/Reader) using a software to embed text information (add transparent text) so that the text can be searched by text copying or web searches.

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Q32: Are the PDF files published on KURENAI protected?

A32: In order to increase visibility and convenience in the internet, in principle, the data is made available without password or printing restrictions, but if requested at the time of application, it can be made available as a PDF file with security protection against text copying and printing. If you wish to do so, please request this when applying.

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Q33: Is there a limit to the size of PDF file(s) to publish it/them on KURENAI?

A33: There are no system limitations, but please note that large PDF files can cause inconvenience such as taking a long time to open them. We may ask you if it is OK to split the file to deposit them or to optimize it, if necessary. Please note that there is a 100MB limit for files uploaded through the KURENAI Deposit System, so please contact us if you want to deposit data exceeding 100MB.

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private/Delete

Q36: Can I withdraw an article that I have deposited into KURENAI?

A36: To withdraw a published content, you must follow the prescribed procedures in accordance with the Kyoto University Research Information Repository Operational Guidelines. Please contact us for further information.

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Open Access Policy

Q37: Are there any other universities besides Kyoto University that have similar policies? If not, wouldn't it be meaningless for only Kyoto University to develop such a policy?

A37: From the perspective of promoting open access, the adoption of open access policies at the university level has spread early overseas.
[Ref.] ROARMAP - Registry of open access repositories obligates and policies
http://roarmap.eprints.org/view/country/

In 2015, Kyoto University was the first university in Japan to develop the policy that made open access obligatory. As of February 2023, more than 50 universities and other research institutions have developed the open access policies respectively.
[Ref.] Links to the Open Access Policy and Guidelines
https://jpcoar.repo.nii.ac.jp/page/53

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Q38: Should I deposit an article into KURENAI if I am not the corresponding author?

A38: This obligation applies not only to articles written as the corresponding author, but also to articles written as the co-author. If there are multiple faculty members who are affiliated with Kyoto University and are subject to the obligation, all authors should agree on the representative to be in charge of application, and he/she should submit the article. If no consent can be acquired, you can complete the process without depositing the article into KURENAI. In such a case, please click the trash can icons on the right side of the Reuse data list in the KURENAI Deposit System to remove them.

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Q39: What is the scope of people who are subject to this obligation?

A39: Under this policy, the faculty members who are required to deposit their research outputs into KURENAI are full-time professors, associate professors, lecturers, and assistant professors (both fixed-term and permanent employment), and are the same as those who are required to enter information into the Activity Database on Education and Research, Kyoto University.

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Q40: What specifically are the research outputs that are subject to the obligation?

A40: According to this policy, research outputs that are required to be deposited into KURENAI are articles published in journals. Whether or not an article is considered an academic article will likely be determined based on the nature of the journal (e.g., whether or not it has peer review). Please make your decision based on the actual situation in your discipline.

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Q41: Are research outputs that are not subject to the obligation of open access (e.g., books, research grant reports, proceedings of international conferences, articles published in commercial magazines, etc.) able to deposit into KURENAI?

A41: Although not subject to the open access obligation under this policy, KURENAI accepts all academic achievements and intellectual products that are the result of educational and research activities at Kyoto University. Please consider actively depositting them.

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Q42: I understand that open access is obligation, but I am unable to contact my co-author and reach an agreement. What should I do?

A42: The Kyoto University Open Access Policy stipulates that if there is a compelling reason, the research outputs in question will not be subject to the policy if the faculty member requests the waiver. This procedure can be done with the KURENAI Deposit System. In such a case, please click the trash can icons on the right side of the Reuse data list to remove them.

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Q43: If open access to research outputs is obligation, do I have to choose the open access option when submitting my manuscript?

A43: No, you don't have to. This policy does not require authors to choose a paid open access option or to submit only to open access journals. The choice of journal and option is up to the author(s). Even if you do not choose the open access option, the copyright policies of many publishers allow you to make the final author's manuscript open access on the institutional repository. If the publisher's copyright policy does not allow it, and if you want to remove them from the list, please click the trash can icons on the right side of the Reuse data list.

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Q44: Are there any penalties for not meeting the obligation of the policy?

A44: No, there are not.

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Q45: I am in charge of publishing a bulletin on Kyoto University. Does the bulletin have to be deposited into KURENAI?

A45: The obligation applies to individual faculty members of Kyoto University, not to the publishers. The decision to deposit bulletins into KURENAI is to be made at the discretion of the publishers, taking into consideration the circumstances of the distribution of the university publications in question.

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Contact Us

Contact us: Repository Section, Kyoto University Library
repository at mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp TEL: 075-753-2618