Scholarly & Creative Works
Repository

The SCW repository is a service of DePauw Libraries. It preserves and shares student work, faculty publications, performances, exhibitions, posters, datasets, and more. Each item receives a stable, citable link and is discoverable via Google Scholar and major search engines.

An institutional repository (IR) is a digital collection that gathers the work of a university's community and makes it openly available on the web. DePauw's IR is called Scholarly & Creative Works (SCW).

Students, faculty, and staff can contribute eligible work. Student submissions may be sponsored or verified by a course instructor, program, or department.

"Open Access" means free online availability plus permission for lawful reuse — it goes beyond simply being free to read. The Budapest Open Access Initiative describes OA as immediate, free availability plus reuse rights.

Curious about OA journals? Explore the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

In most cases, authors own the copyright to their work unless they've signed it away in a publisher agreement. When you deposit, you can keep your copyright and, if you wish, choose a Creative Commons license to clarify how others may reuse your work.

1. Gather your final files and, if published, a citation to the version of record.
2. Check your publisher's sharing policy if applicable — see the FAQ for guidance.
3. Submit your work using the student or faculty submission form.
4. We review for basic quality, metadata, and rights, then publish your work.

Depositing in SCW makes your work more visible, more citable, and more impactful — for you and for DePauw.

• Increased discoverability. SCW is optimized for Google and other search engines, so your work surfaces in searches by researchers worldwide.
• Permanent, citable URL. Every item gets a stable link you can put on your CV, resume, graduate school application, or personal website.
• Monthly download reports. SCW automatically sends you monthly usage reports so you can track how often your work is accessed.
• Showcase student research. Departments and programs can highlight student work, giving students a professional, citable publication record.
• Long-term preservation. Your work is preserved in a managed digital archive — no broken links, no lost files, no expired hosting.
• More reads, more citations. Research shows that open access publications receive more downloads and citations than restricted-access equivalents.
• Advance DePauw's reputation. Every deposit contributes to DePauw's global scholarly presence and demonstrates the depth of research happening here.
• Support for author rights. We help you understand copyright, publisher agreements, and how to retain rights to your own work.