ScholarlyCommons is a permanent scholarly repository designed to provide persistent access to research. Once a work is deposited, the expectation is that it will continue to be available. If an author feels a work must be removed because of extenuating circumstances (such as a threat to life), Penn Libraries staff will work with the author to make changes (such as embargoing or restricting access to) the file(s) but will not remove the metadata record. Since any item that has existed within ScholarlyCommons may have been cited via its persistent URL, the record will always show a "tombstone" metadata record in place of the item, along with a notification that the original file has been removed.
In the case of student work, including dissertations and theses, the department or school will decide whether a work should continue to be available or if access to the full text should be limited and a metadata-only record remain.
Authors may also post an updated version of a work, but such an update will not replace originally- posted work. Standard practice is to maintain access to previous versions, with all versions visible on the landing page, and the reason for each subsequent version. Posting updated versions of a work while keeping the original version available is one way that ScholarlyCommons can allow authors to show the progress of their research, which in some fields can have pedagogical or intellectual value.
Penn Libraries staff may terminate or suspend an End User’s access to and use of ScholarlyCommons for any reason, including for violation of any ScholarlyCommons policy or other conduct that Administrators believe to be unlawful or harmful to others. Content not considered to fall under the scope of ScholarlyCommons will be removed.
ScholarlyCommons reserves the right to reject datasets that are deemed to be potentially disclosive of personal identifiers or acquired or generated illegally.
