HERDC Frequently Asked Questions
Submission
Submission
What's the deadline for entering publications on CRO for HERDC?
The internal deadline for submitting HERDC publications is usually March/April in the year following the year of publication. A 2012 publication must be submitted by no later than Friday, 29th March, 2013. However, we would ask you to bear in mind the volume of total University research publications, and the time involved in verifying and processing each publication for HERDC. In the interests of maximising the University HERDC return while minimising workload, please submit your publication/s as soon as possible. The collection is open throughout the year.
Where do I go to submit my HERDC publications?
All research publications should be submitted to CRO (Charles Sturt University Research Output) - the online institutional repository.
How do I check that my HERDC publication is not already in CRO?
Be aware that a publication with more than one CSU author may already be entered in CRO. If this is the case, or if you are simply unsure if it has already been submitted, you should check prior to submission, by conducting an Advanced Search (by title, staff/student number or lead author name), at CRO Advanced search
What if I make a mistake in my submission?
If you need to change or edit some of the details in a publication submission, or if you have discovered a duplication of a publication, you should fill out the 'CRO Changes Request form', at the CRO Changes Request form.
Please do not submit your publication again.
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Eligibility
Eligibility
Can electronic works be counted?
Yes, provided they meet all of the criteria of the appropriate publication category.
Do foreign language publications count?
These can only be included where sufficient independent translation of the publication exists to demonstrate that it meets the criteria of the category against which it is being claimed. This includes evidence that the work meets the definition of research.
Do conference abstracts keynote addresses, plenary addresses and poster presentations count?
These are unlikely to meet the criteria in respect of research publications.
Note that conference papers must be 'published in full' to count for HERDC
How do I demonstrate that a conference is of 'national or international' significance?
Often the 'significance' of a conference is implied in the conference name - eg., 'International Conference on Whaling'. In addition, the claim can usually be supported via other key indicators, such as advertising nationally/internationally (eg. website); target participants (researchers/academics/professionals, vs. lay person); target audience (broad range vs. localised/narrow interest group); invited speakers (international/high profile guests); duration (per programme); content and substance of conference (scholarly presentations of papers vs. hands-on workshops; engages wide range of participants vs. one or two speakers).
Do scholarly editions and translations count?
Scholarly editions and translations must have a major demonstrable original research component in the edition or translation to be considered for inclusion.
Do literature reviews count?
Literature reviews which are predominantly summaries of existing/current knowledge and findings of a particular research field or topic and which therefore don't include any critical assessment or report any new findings or original experimental work are unlikely to meet the definition of research, and so can't be counted for HERDC.
Where do I get an author's declaration form?
If CSU is not listed as your affiliation on a publication (either on byline, footnote, or contributors information page/s), but the research for the publication was undertaken in your capacity as a staff/student member of CSU, then you will need to complete and return an author's declaration form to this effect.
My article was published online and then appeared (or will appear) in print the next year. Which version should I submit?
If both versions have been published, you are advised to submit the later version (usually the print version). This is partly to avoid duplication or 'double-dipping', and partly because access to the electronic version is often less reliable than the print version. This is especially the case for conference papers, because conference websites are often taken down after a period of time.
If your publication has only been published online, you may submit this version; however, note that you may not subsequently submit the print version when it appears.
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Verification process and documentation
Verification process and documentation
Who is responsible for verification and co-ordinating the HERDC return?
The HERDC return is managed through the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).
What sorts of documentation can/should I attach to my submission to assist the verification process?
Most of the material needed to complete verification will be found on the published version of the work. In order for the verification team to begin assessing the publication, we will ordinarily require the published version (a PDF of the publication) OR a DOI / URL to an online publication.
DOI's or URLs need to be entered in the appropriate field in the submission form. Please ensure they are working links.
Note that the verification team will not always have access to all journals. If you know that a particular journal is not covered by a general CSU subscription, you will need to provide hard copy or a scan of relevant material.
Note that additional material/links will be required for books, chapters, and conference papers. For example:
- Conferences: Unless supplied as a PDF or in hard copy, we will require a link/links to the conference website, online program, proceedings, welcome address, preamble, author information/affiliation, etc. Please ensure you are in the habit of collecting this information in hard copy - conference websites are unstable and crucial information often disappears.
- Books and chapters: we will require either links to the publisher's website, online sale/distribution site, bibliographic detail, and preview site, or equivalent hard copy material.
If you know that an author's declaration form will be required, you should also include this as an attachment during the submission process.
Please note that it is essential the verification team have access to a published version of the work.
Why am I being asked for a published version as well as a pre-print?
The published version of the work is essential for HERDC verification. Apart from anything else, we must establish that the work was in fact published.
The preprint (the authors version, post peer reviewing, without publisher markup) is essential in order for the publication to be included in the institutional repository. Copyright issues are addressed and the publication assessed for potential open access by CRO administrators.
I am concerned that I will be breaching copyright if I submit a published (PDF) version. Will this be publicly available?
No. Published material is only used for HERDC verification purposes and only accessible to administrators. All published documents will be locked from public view.
