Library:Circle/What Is cIRcle
What is cIRcle?
cIRcle is an open access digital repository for published and unpublished material created by the UBC community and its partners. Its aim is to showcase and preserve UBC’s unique intellectual output by making content freely available to anyone, anywhere via the web.
UBC is committed to “developing a system for making UBC research accessible in digital repositories, especially open access repositories” and cIRcle is part of this strategy. The Senates of UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan have both endorsed UBC’s Open Access Position Statement which encourages faculty to deposit their research in cIRcle. In addition, some funding agencies have open access policies.
If you wish to make your research openly accessible, cIRcle is an option to consider.
Mission
cIRcle’s main goals are:
- To showcase the intellectual output of UBC and its partners by making the research carried out at UBC freely accessible;
- To support teaching, learning, and research activities on campus; and
- To preserve materials in cIRcle for future generations.
How is cIRcle connected to UBC Library?
cIRcle is a service of the UBC Library and is a key player supporting the 'Accelerate Research' strategic direction in the Library's Strategic Plan which in turn is based on UBC's core commitment to 'Research Excellence' as described in Place and Promise: the UBC Plan.
What can I find in cIRcle?
Through cIRcle you can find articles, conference and workshop papers, theses and dissertations, technical reports and working papers, books, datasets, learning objects, multimedia and audio-visual materials including podcasts, webcasts and more. cIRcle features both peer-reviewed and non peer-reviewed content making it a valuable resource for interdisciplinary research and inquiry.
How can I add my work to cIRcle?
Visit our Submissions page to learn more or visit our Contact Us page.
Why use cIRcle?
With all content in cIRcle being indexed by web search engines like Google and Google Scholar, cIRcle enhances the global reach of and accessibility to UBC research. In fact, did you know cIRcle enables UBC researchers to comply with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications? For details, visit Scholarly Communications Tri-Agency Open Access Policy.
Offering a number of services to help you manage and enhance your scholarly profile, cIRcle provides three major repository benefits as follows:
Simple
- We will work with you to get your materials submitted and take care of indexing to make them easily findable.
Visible
- cIRcle content is indexed by high-profile search engines such as Google as well as academically focused search engines and collections such as Google Scholar, OAIster and CARL making it quick and easy for scholars and others to find your work.
Permanent
- We strive to maintain your work over the long term. And we won't change URLs every time there's a webpage redesign - the links to your materials will remain the same over time.
cIRcle content is accessible via UBC Library’s Open Collections (OC), which brings together locally created and managed content from UBC Library's open access repositories. cIRcle currently uses DSpace (v. 5.1) open-source repository software to process and hold digital objects. The DSpace community receives leadership and guidance from LYRASIS.
Need more reasons? Read about how contributing to cIRcle supports Open Access and Granting Agency Mandates, or visit our Who's using cIRcle? tab to see what others are saying about the benefits of using cIRcle.
Who’s using cIRcle?
There are currently more than 70,000 items in cIRcle and the number continues to grow as new research items are added.
Visit our Projects in cIRcle page to learn more about our work with the UBC community its partners.
Look for the statistical information at the bottom of each record in cIRcle, or visit our FAQ for more information.
History
The system of scholarship and scholarly publishing is going through a process of change across the world. Notions of authorship and scholarly publishing are rapidly evolving in the digital age. Digital repositories (also known as information or institutional repositories) provide an opportunity to make scholarly content (including peer reviewed content) freely available online. Providing open access to an institution’s research output can make the dissemination of scholarly information more cost effective and easier, resulting in greater accountability for public tax dollars.
Timeline
In April 2006, the UBC Library’s e-Library Committee proposed the creation of a digital repository to showcase UBC’s scholarly work online. A pilot project was launched in spring 2007 and two years later, cIRcle became a full service of the Library. Today, with over 70,000 items online (and growing) scholarly communication is beginning to come full circle at UBC.
Reports
The cIRcle Impact and Activity Report 2018-2019 describes the engagement of UBC researchers, students, and community partners with cIRcle, and illustrates the dissemination of their scholarly work.
Previous Reports: cIRcle Impact and Activity Report 2017-2018
cIRcle Impact and Activity Report 2016-2017
cIRcle Impact and Activity Report 2015-2016
cIRcle Impact and Activity Report 2013
Follow cIRcle via Twitter - @cIRcle_UBC for the latest news and more from cIRcle.