Digital Collections FAQ

• What type of resources are included in Digitised-Collections?

  Digitised-Collections aims to collect, preserve, and showcase resources from cultural, special and faculty collections of the University of Melbourne. Digitised-Collections includes resources from the University of Melbourne Archives, Special Collections and Faculties.

  • Architectural Drawings
  • Audio Recordings
  • Calendars
  • Handbooks
  • Images
  • Journals
  • Maps
  • Photographs
  • Reports
• How do I search for resources in Digitised-Collections?

  You can search for terms and phrases in both metadata records and full-text resources in Digitised-Collections. Here are a few examples of searches that can be used and adapted.

  Searching for University Handbooks

  • Search for university handbooks =  university AND handbooks (both terms anywhere)
  • Search for "university handbooks" = university handbooks (both terms together as a phrase)
  • Search for "university handbooks" AND journalism = university handbooks AND journalism
  • Search for "university handbooks" AND journalism AND dc.date.issued:1930 = university handbooks AND journalism AND created in 1930

  Searching  University of Melbourne Calendar Collection 1858 - Collection

  All calendars are full-text indexed which enables searching of text within calendars.
  As the calendars are in a distinct collection it is also possible to search across all calendars at the same time for names, phrases etc.

  To search across all calendars run the search from the Calendar Collection search box

  For name searches the best option is to put the name in inverted commas.
  Example: "Thomas, David John" 

  Sometimes it is worth trying different variations and order of the name.
  "David John Thomas"
  "Thomas, D. J."

  The inverted commas force a specific phrase search. The search will retrieve all of the calendars that contain the search terms used.

  Select one of the retrieved calendars and snippets of text related to the search will be displayed.

  Select the link above the snippet and the relevant pdf will load.

  Run the search (ctrl + F) again within the loaded pdf, you may have to remove the inverted commas to retrieve the information required.
  Example: Thomas, David John

• Can I search and retrieve records that have Open Access files attached?

  You can add the following to any search to identify which records have an available file attached: melbourne.accessrights_keyword:"Open Access"

  Example: music AND melbourne.accessrights_keyword:"Open Access"

  This will return all records that have the term music as well as having an open access file attached.

• What restrictions are there on viewing resources in Digitised-Collections?

  Digitised-Collections has basically two access conditions which are displayed prominently in each record.

  • Open Access (attached file available to all for viewing)
  • Only available to University of Melbourne staff and students, login required (attached file only available to staff and students of the University of Melbourne for viewing)
• Do I need to login to view certain resources?

  Staff and Students can login using their University of Melbourne username and password and will be able to access any of the resources designated as "Only available to University of Melbourne staff and students, login required". Staff and students will also be able to save list of records and export metadata record in csv format.

• What does a registered Guest have access to?

  Guest access is for people who are not staff or student at the University of Melbourne who wish to be able to save and export lists of records in csv and ris formats. A Guest login does not provide access to any restricted content.

Frequently asked questions

• What material does Minerva Access hold and what can be deposited?

  Minerva Access makes available the research outputs of the University of Melbourne staff and students.

  The following materials are accepted:

  • Journal articles, including:
    • editorials
    • book reviews
    • letters
  • Conference papers, including:
    • accepted abstracts
    • poster sessions
    • video recordings
  • Books and book chapters
  • Theses:
    • University of Melbourne research theses
    • some University of Melbourne minor and coursework theses
  • University of Melbourne internal publications
  • Creative works
  • Non-traditional outputs (NTROs)
• How do I link to items in Minerva Access?

  All Minerva Access records include a persistent “Handle” URL in the URI field. A Handle is a persistent, long-term link to a resource, similar to a DOI.

  Here is an example of a handle linking to record: http://hdl.handle.net/11343/39592

• Can I find out how many times my work has been downloaded?

  Usage statistics are provided for each item in the repository. To see the number of downloads, open the Minerva Access record and click the "Show statistical information" button in the left sidebar.

  On the statistics page, “bitstreams” refers to the number of downloads of the item, while “item” refers to the number of record pages views. You can also view them by country.

• I found a thesis in Minerva Access that is restricted. Can I access it?

  It is possible to request a copy of a restricted thesis, although we cannot make copies available for some theses due to author’s wishes.

  Types of access restrictions on theses:

  • Access restricted to University of Melbourne staff and students: you may be able to access a digital copy of the thesis by submitting a request.
  • Restricted theses: you may be able to access a digital copy of the thesis by submitting a request.
  • Embargoed theses: it is not possible to access a thesis that is currently under an embargo.

  For more information on how to request a thesis, please go to: https://library.unimelb.edu.au/digitisation/thesis

• I can’t find a thesis in Minerva Access. How can I obtain a copy?

  Not all University of Melbourne theses are available in digital format. For information on how to access print theses, see the Thesis Collection information page.

• How do I register as a guest?

  Guest registration is available for anyone who is not a member of the University of Melbourne and who wants to take advantage of the repository's save and export features.

  Please note that a guest account does not allow you access to restricted or embargoed records in Minerva Access.

  To register, click on “Login”, then “No UoM account? Click here to register a guest account”. Provide your email address and respond to the emailed instructions.

• Who owns the copyright of the materials in Minerva Access?

  For theses in Minerva Access, the author retains the copyright for the work. For more information on how copyright applies to your thesis you can visit the Copyright and Your Thesis page.

  For research outputs in Minerva Access, copyright is held by the author and/or publisher, depending on the agreement the author signed with the publisher.

  For more information on copyright and research publications, refer to the following:

  • The Copyright and Research page
  • Email the Copyright Office for more information on publishing agreements: copyright-office@unimelb.edu.au
  • The Open Scholarship website.

• What type of resources does Course-Work include?

  Course Work includes  resources that are  primarily related to  the delivery of courses  at the University of Melbourne

  • Exam Papers
  • Projects
  • Reports
• What restrictions are there on viewing resources in Course-Work?

  Course-Work resources are predominantly only available to University of Melbourne staff and students and requires a login.

  Staff and students can login using their University of Melbourne username and password to access the resources.

• How do I search for Exam resources in Course Work

  You can search for terms and phrases in Course Work. Here are a few examples of searches that can be used and adapted.

  Exam papers can be search via the Course-Work interface: https://course-work.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/2

  OR

  Exam Papers can be searched via the Exam Webpage search: http://library.unimelb.edu.au/examination_papers

  The following searches will work in both

  • Search for exam paper ECON10003 = ECON10003
  • Search for a 2nd semester exam paper with subject code: ECON10003 = ECON10003 AND "Semester 2"
  • Search for exam papers with subject code: ECON10003 and dated 2015 = ECON10003 AND dc.date.issued:2015
• I have searched but can't find an exam paper for my subject.

  Not all exam papers are made available for student access. If you have searched and can't find a specific exam then please check with the subject coordinator as to whether an exam paper should be available for that particular subject.

• I am an academic how do I make an exam paper available for my students?

  There is a bulk upload of exam papers in February each year so that the exams of the previous year are available in early March. There is also usually a smaller upload at the start of second semester each year.

  The Examination Team, University Services – Academic Services  provides the examination papers that we make available to the staff and students via the Examination Paper Collection.

  The Examination Team will be able to answer questions regarding what are the requirements for making examination papers available and include them in the bulk upload times. Exams-Team@unimelb.edu.au