Help

Below is the standard GNU Eprints Software user documentation on how to use the archive. Many general questions in relation to depositing ones papers in E-LIS are answered in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Information about the E-LIS archive, copyright issues and its policy can be found in About. If you can not find the information you require or if you have any comments or suggestions, please send e-mail to the E-LIS Staff (see email address at the bottom of the page).

• How to search in E-LIS
• How to register in E-LIS
• How to deposit records in E-LIS
  • Deposit Type
  • Versions and commentary
  • Bibliographic Information
  • Document Storage Formats
  • Deposit Verification

How to search in E-LIS

E-LIS is accessible in two complementary ways. Firstly browsable views is available author/editor, book/journal, subject, country and year. Secondly a search engine will be provided in order to seek the bibliographic descriptions. Browsing and searching are anonymous.

Browsing

Browsing is a good way to access documents if you don't have a specific idea of what you're looking for. There are four ways to browse the archive: by author/editor, book/journal, subject, country and year. To browse the archive either select "Browse" from the front page or from the navigation bar at the top of the screen. Then choose which property you wish to browse by eg. "subject". You will be presented with a list of possible values, select one of these, and you will be given a list of references to documents in the archive (if any) which match this value. To access a paper, simply click on its reference in the display. On the abstract page, you should be able to see what subjects are pertinent to the current document. Clicking on one of those subjects will take you back to the relevant browse by subject view.

Searching

The archive offers fours levels of searching: quick, simple, advanced and full text. The archive offers the quick and full text search, using the search boxes at the front page. The advanced form lets you perform a finer-grained search using more fields. Access the simple search using the Search the Archive link on the front page, or using the navigation bar at the top of the screen. To perform an advanced search, use the advanced search link at the top of the simple search page.

1. Quick search: when using the search box at the frontpage you are searching in the title, abstract and keywords fields.
2. More search options: in the Simple search and Advanced search you can choose to search in different fields and limit your search with filters. Useful when you get to many hits in "Quick search" or want to use the possibilities to filter a search.
3. Full text: when using the search box at the frontpage you are searching in all the files except PowerPoint.

Constructing a search

Searching consists of a mixture of free text entry and drop-down options. Enter the required text in the given box, e.g. author, or abstract, then use the drop-down box to the right of the box to select the method of searching, such as Match all (which constructs a Boolean AND search for you) or Match any, which constructs a Boolean OR search.)

Limiting searches

Some search fields, such as Subject or ePrint type, allow you to select a value from given lists as limiting options. For example, you might wish to limit searches to Conference Papers only, or to papers on a specific subject. If you choose not to specify a value from lists such as these, the system will default to ANY, that is it will retrieve records with any value of this field.

Should you wish to limit a search by more than one value from a list, you can. For example, you can select more than one subject term to search on. You can make the search an OR or AND search, depending on whether you choose the Any of these or All of these option from the drop- down box to the right ofthe list. If you choose Any of these, any record that contains any of the values you select will be retrieved. If you choose All of these, only those records that contain all the values you choose will be retrieved.

Date limiting searches

If you wish to limit searches by date, you can specify a single year or a range of years

1. 1999: retrieves records from 1999 only
2. 1987-1990: retrieves records with years between 1987 and 1990 inclusive
3. 1995-: retrieves records from 1995 onwards
4. -1998: retrieves records from the years up to and including 1998

Limiting to refereed papers

You can limit searches to refereed papers if you wish.Selecting Yes will return only refereed papers. If you select No, returns will only be non-refereed papers. You can opt for No preference in which case the field is not included as a limit option in the search, and your search returns will include both refereed and non-refereed papers.

Clearing the form

Search values will remain in the form after your search in case you want to use your chosen limit options again. If you want to start afresh, clear the form using the given button on the page before entering new data into the form.

How to register in E-LIS

If you wish to deposit papers in the archive, you will first need to register as an archive user. No charge is made for registering with the archive or for use of any of the services it offers.

Registration is a two-stage process. Firstly, you need to complete an initial registration form. This means choosing a username and password to use when you want to deposit or manage your papers. Submit that initial form. Archive staff will then email you with a code to use to confirm your details. When you return to the archive to complete the registration process, you will need to supply further information about yourself.

Your user record holds this contact information about you. Some of this information will be associated with ePrints you deposit. General information like your name, Web address, address and e-mail address are public. Information about your operating system is sought to enable the archive administrators to help you if you encounter problems.

Enter the relevant information in the form. Boxes marked with an asterisk (*) are required fields.

When you have entered the relevant information, use the Update Record button at the bottom of the form to submit your details. If the form is filled out correctly, you will be taken to your new user area page. If there is a problem with the form, the form will be presented to you again with a description of the problem. Correct the error and try Update Record again.

That should complete the registration process, so that you can begin depositing papers.

The user details form can be used at any stage to change your personal details, for example, if you wish to reset a forgotten password. You can also use the initial registration form to reset your password.

How to deposit records in E-LIS

The first thing you'll need to do, after registering, is fill out your user record. When you click on Deposit Papers you'll see an option saying View/change your user record: Select this option. The user record form is described below.

User Record

Your user record is used to hold contact information about you. Some of this information will be associated with eprints you upload; some of it is purely for internal archive use. General information like your name, URL, address and e-mail address are public, so it's inadvisable to put down a home address. (Usually a postal address isn't required.) Information about your operating system is purely to help the archive administrators help you if you encouter problems. Enter the relevant information in the form. Those boxes where the field name (on the left of the box) has an asterisk are required fields that you must fill out before you can deposit papers in to the archive.

Note that you cannot change your e-mail address here. This is deliberate; if you inadvertently enter an incorrect e-mail address, the site will have no way of contacting you. Instructions for changing your e-mail address can be found on the ''Registered Users Area''.Rather than clicking in each box before you enter something into it, you may find that your browser will let you use the tab key to move the cursor between the boxes. In this way you can enter the information much more quickly.

When you've entered the relevant information, click on the ''Update Record'' button at the bottom of the form. If the form is filled out correctly, you'll be taken back to the ''Deposit Papers'' page. If there's a problem with the form, the form will be presented to you again with a description of what's wrong. Correct the error and click on ''Update Record'' again.

User Workspace

All deposits of papers must begin in your user area of the archive, since that area comprises your personal workspace within the archive. If your workspace is empty, which will be the case when you first visit the page, you will see a button Click here to start uploading a document. Click this button to open a fresh, empty record to your workspace for you to complete. If you are unable to finish depositing a paper in one go, you will not lose any of the data associated with it. The document will simple remain whtin your workspace until you complete and submit it.

In addition to the ability to deposit papers, your area contains a number of other options. These options will vary once you start adding material. Papers you are in the process of depositing will be listed in your workspace. If you have papers pending entry into the main archive, these will be listed also. (All deposits are vetted before acceptance by archive editors to ensure records are complete.)

If there are papers in your workspace, you will see a list of those papers with option buttons. The title of each paper you are uploading will be shown in the list, or its ePrint archive ID if you have not yet given it a title. The option buttons are described below:

1. Delete: if you select a paper and select Delete, the paper will be removed from your workspace and discarded completely. You will be asked to confirm this step before deletion occurs.
2. Edit: if you select a paper in your workspace and select Edit, the deposit form will open at the beginning to enable you to complete your deposit. Any data you have previously filled in will still be present.
3. Deposit: if you are satisfied that you have completed the deposit form as you intended, select the paper and select Deposit to lodge the paper in the archive.If there are problems with the paper (for instance, if a document file upload has not worked, or the associated bibliographic information is invalid), you will not be able to deposit the paper until those problems are fixed. The depositing process is described more fully below.
4. New: selecting this option creates a fresh record and is the start of any new deposit process.
5. Clone: yhis button makes a clone of the paper you have selected from the list. Clones are useful if you are depositing a number of papers with similar information. You can fill out the common information once, clone that paper, and then edit the clones to avoid entering the same information twice.

The Depositing Process

The deposit process is divided into a number of stages. You can move between these stages by using the Back and Next buttons at the bottom of each page. The deposit form runs over several pages; it does not appear as one long page.

Even if you move back and forward during the deposit process, you will not lose any information you have entered. The data is securely held within your workspace. However, you should not use your browser's Back button ; use the Back and Next buttons within the ePrint software only.

Deposit Type

On this page, select the option from the list that best describes your deposit, for example conference paper, journal paper (paginated), or book chapter. The option you choose here will affect what fields subsequently appear and thus what information the system will collect about your deposited paper.

After choosing the deposit type, move on to the next screen by clicking the Next button.

Versions and commentary

Only use this option if the paper you are depositing is an earlier or later version of a paper already in the archive, or a commentary on another paper in the archive or elsewhere. Otherwise, leave this section blank and click on Next to move to the next page.

The archive can link together different versions of the same paper, as well as commentaries and responses to commentaries. These links enable a reader to move easily around those versions, commentaries and responses.

If the paper you are depositing is a later version of a paper you previously deposited in the archive, enter the ID code of the previous paper in the Later Version Of text box. If you used the Clone option to create the current form, the Later Version Of box will already contain an ID number, but this can simply be deleted if the new deposit is not actually a later version of the cloned paper.

To find the ID of a document, use the archive's Search feature.

If you are depositing a commentary on a paper in the archive, enter the document's ID code in the Commentary On box. If the paper you are depositing in a response to a commentary, enter the ID code of the existing commentary in this box.

You can ensure you have entered the correct ID codes by clicking the Verify IDs button at the bottom of the page. The system will then show you what papers the ID codes pertain to. The system will not let you proceed with the deposit if either ID code you have entered is invalid.

Leave both boxes empty if your paper is not a later version of another, a commentary or a response to a commentary. Click on the Next button to proceed.

Bibliographic information

On this page, enter bibliographic information about your paper, such as authors, titles, publication details, subject terms and keywords. The details required will vary depending on the deposit type you selected on Page One.

Each field will have a field name and a short explanation of what should be entered into it. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory. Other fields are optional.

The following are the types of input field you may see:

1. Text boxes: enter the relevant information, or copy and paste text from your paper.
2. Drop-down boxes: select the most appropriate option from the drop-down box.
3. Checkboxes: use these to record a Yes or No value.
4. Lists: select one or more appropriate options from the list.
5. Page ranges: type the first page in the range into the box on the left, and the last page in the box on the right. If the range consists of a single page, enter that page number into the left-hand box, and leave the right-hand box empty.
6. Names: you can enter title, given name, family name and lineage. Title and lineage can be left blank if not required. If there is more than one author name to enter, just keep clicking More Spaces until you have enough boxes to fill in. Any boxes left blank, even in the middle, will be ignored.

Subject Categories

The archive is using the JITA Classification. In the subject categories stage, select the subject or subjects from the list that best represent the content of your paper. Please try to be as accurate and as specific as possible.

Once you have entered all relevant information for your paper, including keywords or keyword phrases separated by semi-colons, click on the Next button. If there are any omissions from the data, the system will explain what is wrong and re-present the form so you can fix the problems.

Document Storage Formats

Use this page to begin the process of adding your document to the archive. The page will tell you which formats are acceptable to the archive. Currently these are HTML, PDF, Postscript, ASCII text, Tex, LaTeX (DVI), XML, PowerPoint, MS Word DOC and RTF. But HTML and PDF formats are strongly recommended. Do not submit publisher produced PDF or other format versions. Do submit the final version of the pre-refereed or post-refereed version. Click the Add Document button to start the upload process.

This will bring up the page on which you choose your document's format, and also the level of access required for it, for example, open to anyone, open to registered users only, and so on. The use of some items can be restricted to registered users only, but choose this option only if copyright restrictions demand it. Use the Next button to move to the next page.

The Document File Upload allows you to choose from one of these options:

• File Upload
• Capture from URL
• .ZIP archive Upload
• .tar.gz Upload

If you are uploading a document in one of the acceptable formats from your own computer, choose File Upload. Use the Browse facility to find the file on your computer. When you have entered the full pathname to the document, click Upload.

If you are importing a document from a Web site, choose Capture from URL. You will be prompted to Please enter the URL of the document you wish to upload to the archive in the box below. Enter the URL and click Upload.

If you are uploading a document in a compressed format, choose either the .ZIP or .tar.gz option. Use the Browse facility to find the compressed file on your computer. When you have entered the full pathname to the file, click Upload.

When you have uploaded all files associated with the document, click Finished. You will now be taken to the Deposit Verification page

Deposit verification

This page will display the abstract page for your document as it will appear in the archive. You should carefully check that all information has been uploaded correctly.

You should also check that the document files have been uploaded correctly, including any associated figures and links. If you spot a mistake, you can use the Back buttons without the forms to cycle back through the depositing process to fix any errors.

If you are satisfied that everything is correct and has been uploaded correctly, and have read, understood and complied with the agreement at the bottom of the page, click on the Deposit button to deposit your paper in the archive. It will then be moved to the submission buffer for the archive, where it will be double-checked for completeness and errors by the archive's editors. After that process has been satisfactorily completed, the paper will be moved to the main archive.