How to add an item to Open Research Online

If you are an Open University researcher you are automatically pre-registered as a user of the repository and can self-deposit your research papers and other research outputs. Ideally the full text of the item should be deposited; if this is not possible or appropriate then please supply bibliographic details and an abstract.

Manually keying in an item

From the ORO homepage click on User Area to start depositing your research in the repository. The "Manage Deposits" page will show a number of options, as well as any items you are working on or have submitted but are not yet approved by an editor. You will also have the option of adding a new item manually, or using the import function. The depositing workflow is divided into four stages:

1. Type

   • On this screen, select the one option that best describes the item you are depositing, e.g. journal article or book chapter.

2. Details

   • Enter as much bibliographic information about the item as possible. Fields indicated by a red asterisk must be completed.
   • Formatting of all text should be identical to how it appears on the publisher web pages. 
   • Clicking on the question mark icon next to each field reveals a short explanation of what to include and in what style (if relevant).
   • When entering author names, ORO will suggest any OU people that seem to be a match. Clicking on a name in the list of suggestions will auto-complete the OUCU (OU Computer Username) field, which is necessary for mapping the item to the correct Faculty and School. Please ensure the correct OUCU is displayed, as someone else at the OU may share your name.

3. Upload

   • ORO allows you to upload a full-text version of your research. This version should be the Author's Accepted Manuscript version and will be made available on an open access basis, but can also be placed under embargo.
   • If you have a suitable document, click the "Browse" button to find the location of the document on your PC or network, and then select the "Upload" button to upload the file to the ORO server.
   • If you do not have a suitable full text version of your work click "Next" to bypass the document upload page and complete the depositing process.
   • Any file type can be submitted, but a member of the ORO team will always create a PDF from whatever has been supplied for the public-facing copy. Any source files will be stored on the ORO server, but not made openly accessible.

4. Deposit

   • This page will display the abstract page for your document as it will appear in the repository. Please check carefully that all information has been uploaded correctly. Prior to going live on ORO, a member of the ORO team will edit your submission, adding any missing information and correcting any mistakes.
   • If you are satisfied that everything is correct, and have read, understood and complied with the agreement at the bottom of the page, click on the "Deposit Item Now" button to deposit your paper in the repository. It will then move into the "buffer zone" and will be checked by a member of the ORO team.