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Digital Commons @ Winthrop: Example Collections

Digital Commons @ Winthrop is a digital repository and publication platform designed to collect, preserve, and make accessible the academic output of Winthrop University faculty, students, and staff.

Joining Digital Commons@ Winthrop

Interested in having your materials in Digital Commons @ Winthrop or starting a new project? The tabs below lay out some options and examples of what can be done in Digital Commons. If you are interested in setting something up, having your research included, have questions, or want to request a consultation, contact DeAnn Brame, Digital Services and Systems Librarian, at bramed@winthrop.edu. 

Types of Materials

Digital Commons @ Winthrop can host a variety of previously published materials and grey literature.

If you are a researcher interested in having your works in Digital Commons @ Winthrop, send your CV or list of publications to the repository manager, and we will do the work for you! The Digital Services department will go through your works, determine copyright/permissions, contact publishers for permission on your behalf, and post the permitted materials to Digital Commons.

If you are a department, center, lab, or other Winthrop group, we can set up a collection in Digital Commons @ Winthrop for your works. As with our individual researchers, we will determine permissions for all interested parties in your group and post the permitted materials to Digital Commons.

Examples:

Benefits: ​

  • You get credit when someone downloads your PDF - custom cover pages link downloaders back to all of your content in Digital Commons.
  • We do the permissions for previously published work, so you know what you can share on your other sites (like academia.edu, your personal page, departmental page, or ResearchGate)

Digital Commons can store your audio and videos, whether they be supplemental content, MOOCs, podcasts, or a stand-alone project. We will make your videos available for download, Digital Commons now supports native streaming but we can also embed streaming videos from YouTube or other sites right on the page! See more about embedded materials the "Additional Features" tab.

Examples:

Benefits:

  • Gain a wider audience than those who find you on YouTube
  • Ensure that your videos are always available - even if your streaming site goes down
  • Link your videos up to your other works

Digital Commons @ Winthrop supports open access or subscription-based journals,newsletters and magazines. Each can have their own customized design, and can include a variety of additional features such as access control and editorial management. 

Examples:

 Examples from other colleges and universities:

For more examples click here. 

 

Benefits:

  • Have all of your past and future collections in one place
  • Gain a wider audience

Digital Commons @ Winthrop is a great tool to host images. The simple interface allows users to zoom in and out on the image. Users can also download the image in its original size, medium, or as a thumbnail. 

Check out these images from the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections!

Example from other institutions:

Benefits:

  • Have a gallery of all of your scholarly images
  • Connect your works to their relevant images
  • The viewer window allows users to interact with the image before downloading it

Digital Commons can house Graduate and Undergraduate thesis and capstones! Starting in the Spring of 2015 all graduate thesis and capstones will be uploaded to Digital Commons @ Winthrop. Graduate before May 2015 and would like your thesis digitized? Contact DeAnn Brame at digitalcommons@winthrop.edu. 

Examples:

 

 

Thinking about hosting a conference or and event? Digital Commons can help you manage submissions and create a customized conference site just for you!

Digital Commons @ Winthrop already has a few conferences under its belt check them out:

Benefits:

  • Presenters can share their presentations after the event
  • Attendees can revisit presentations
  • The events are structured in schedule form, so users can experience the event as if they were there

 

Examples By College

General student work examples in form of theses and dissertations collections:

https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/ (Readership map at bottom of page, over one million downloads)

https://nsuworks.nova.edu/nsu_etds/ (Nova Southeastern University in Florida, 442K downloads)

https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/theses-and-dissertations/ (new repository in SC with 46K downloads since 2019 launch)

College of Education examples:

https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/aiken_education_facpub/1/ (uploads to DC show download count, this articlehas 500 downloads)

https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/educ/ (beautiful multi-tier College of Education setup, 243K downloads on readership map at bottom of the page)

College of Business Administration examples:

https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/badm/ (another beautiful multi-tier College of Business setup by University of SC, 144K downloads on readership map at bottom of page)

https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/bus_econ/ (straightforward example, 64K downloads)

College of Arts and Sciences examples:

https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/arts/ (again, stellar multi-tier example of College of A+S, 843K downloads on readership map at bottom of page)

https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/clas/ (another teaching-focused institution, Portland State's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences collection has 1.6 million (!) downloads)