Where to host?
You know what versions of your journal articles to upload. Now, where do you put them?
Your journal article will ultimately have a DOI that directs people straight to the publisher's webpage for that article. If you paid for gold open access, you can direct people straight to the publisher for access!
But if you have opted for "green" open access to self-archive your accepted version or postprint, you can use some of the following options to host free, legal versions of your research such as:
Learn more about these options below.
Creating a Professional Website
Free options for archiving published manuscripts in CSD
Having your own professional or lab website allows you to provide free, legal access to almost all of your published manuscripts at the click of a button. Further, once manuscripts are linked on your website, they will also be indexed by Google, where others are more likely to discover your work.
Here are 4 simple steps for creating a website that will get you started on your self-archiving journey. This approach is free and assumes no prior experience in website design/development.
1. Choose a website builder
Website builders make it possible to create and publish a website in minutes. They provide you with a bunch of templates that can be customized to fit your needs. Some free and easy-to-use options include Wix (used to create this website), Owlstown, Squarespace, Weebly, and Google Sites.
If you have some experience in coding, there are also some Advanced Options for website creation.
See below for a video demonstration using Wix.
2. Add your information
Create an 'About Me' section where you include a short bio (name, affiliation, research interests) so that your audience knows they have found the right website.
Create a 'Publications' section where you list all of your publications.
Optional extras: Recent and upcoming talks, courses taught, projects, blogposts, 'in the news', links to other sites (e.g., Google Scholar, ORCID), and social media accounts.
3. Add your publications
For each publication, follow our self-archiving steps to determine what version can be linked.
4. Publish your website
Publish your website!
Then, rinse and repeat steps 2-4 as your new publications come out.
Check out this short demo on how to create an independent professional website to host your research!
Institution-based options
Are you required to use your institution's laboratory website?
In most cases, as long as you link directly to your laboratory website somewhere from your personal professional page, you can self-archive your publications elsewhere.
If you do in fact prefer to use your institution-based laboratory website to self-archive your manuscripts, you can follow similar steps as those posted above. You would just add a link following the DOI to direct readers to the posted version (such as an open source repository like the OSF, or uploaded directly to your lab page). Check out how some of our featured scientists have done this!
Institution-based digital repositories
Did you know?
Your institution's library may have its own digital repository or services that can assist you in the process of uploading and sharing your work, including:
An in-house repository, which is an institutionally-managed online location for hosting research material, including preprints and postprints
Guidance to help you adhere to publisher copyright policies
These repositories are typically managed by your institution's library. Sherpa also offers a free search-based Directory of Open Access Repositories (DOAR). Click the link below to search for your institution or other repositories of interest: