Frequently Asked Questions
Why Open Access?
Open Access is a model for scholarly communication that aims to make information more freely accessible and usable to a global audience.
The UCW Library supports open access, open education, and open scholarship. We recognize the importance of reducing barriers to knowledge and education, and acknowledge that open research practices can foster collaborative, community-engaged, and impactful scholarship.
Open knowledge sharing is also a core value of Arca and its collaborative partners. As such, UCW Wise prioritizes Open Access as a way to demonstrate our commitment to this network's shared principles.
Increasing the visibility and use of UCW-affiliated works is also a priority for the UCW Library. By hosting an open access space for archiving and showcasing UCW-affiliated works, UCW Wise encourages their discovery, use, citation, and impact. This institutional repository works in tandem with UCW's new Research Publications Database (powered by OpenAlex) to provide a freely available record of UCW-affiliated research publications. We encourage people who are interested in learning more about UCW's scholarly output to explore both platforms.
Why should I submit my work?
By submitting your work in UCW Wise, you increase the reach and visibility of your scholarship and enhance its accessibility and long-term preservation.
Items in UCW Wise become visible and discoverable through both our site and through Arca. Arca has a cross-repository search layer, which provides access to records from multiple institutional repositories through one easy-to-use search bar. Arca is also Google-indexed, which means that one record in UCW Wise becomes accessible by three separate pathways.
In addition to the above, every submission to UCW Wise receives a unique permalink upon ingestion. This practice enhances the stability and longevity of your digital scholarship by ensuring that the URL used to access your archived work remains functional over time.
Am I required to submit my work?
Submission to UCW Wise is not usually mandatory but it is encouraged! There are two exceptions at this time:
- Submission to the Course Work collection is required for students completing UCW courses that have a mandatory archiving policy, e.g., MBAR 661, and
- Submission to the Scholarly Work collection is required for faculty members who receive the Office of Research and Scholarship's Article Processing Charge (APC) Pilot Fund grant.
How long does it take for my work to be uploaded?
The UCW Wise team requires a minimum of two weeks to review your submission. Once we approve and upload your work, we will send you a permalink that directs you to your item record in our collections.
How can I obtain proof of submission?
Students who are enrolled in a course that requires submission to UCW Wise (e.g., MBAR 661) must supply their instructor with proof of submission not proof of final upload. You can choose to receive an email receipt of your responses to the UCW Wise Submission Form, which will serve as proof of submission and confirmation of receipt. The email receipt option is available at the end of both UCW Wise Submission Forms before the final Submit button.
If you overlooked this step in the submission process, the UCW Wise team can send you an email to serve as your proof of submission.
Can I submit multiple related items together?
Yes, you can upload multiple files in one UCW Wise submission form. There is a specific section to upload all documents at the end of each form.
If you upload multiple items for submission, you must list every item by title on the UCW Wise license agreement of your choosing. Both UCW Wise license agreements have multiple lines for this purpose (under "Titles of Submissions"). For example, if you submit an essay and a slide deck in your submission form, include both the title of the essay and the title of the slide deck in your submission form. If they have the same title, please add information in parentheses after the title to help the repository team differentiate between them, e.g., (.ppt) and (.pdf).
If you upload an item for submission that is not listed in your signed UCW Wise License Agreement, it will not be added to the repository.
Can I submit AI-authored work?
At this time, UCW Wise will not attribute authorship to Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). GenAI tools cannot be held accountable for the tasks and responsibilities of authorship, including entering into license agreements. These technologies should always be considered tools rather than actors in UCW Wise submissions.
This position is informed by UCW Intellectual Property Policy 5022 (2024, 5.6) and aligns with current norms and practices in scholarly communications (Committee of Publication Ethics, 2023; Dobreski, 2023; Ganjavi et al., 2024; Perkins & Roe, 2024). The repository team will review this position as needed in response to changes in technologies, professional practice, and legislative frameworks.
UCW Wise does not have GenAI restrictions beyond the attributing of authorship. However, all UCW faculty, staff, and students are expected to read and adhere to UCW's GenAI Statement, which outlines institutional guidelines for appropriate and responsible use of GenAI tools. UCW affiliates can access this document through MyUCW Portal (authentication required) under Faculty Resources, Staff Resources, or Student Resources.
Additional Questions
Still have questions? Contact us at wise@ucanwest.ca. Please note that the UCW Wise inbox is monitored Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.