Behind the Scenes
Although an EPrints archive appears to be a straight-forward database, it is not the case that registered users (i.e. authors) have direct access to make changes to their records. To preserve the integrity of the archive, and in particular the rule that any record that appears in the archive will remain unchanged, the software allows a separation to be maintained between the external view of the archive and the internal procedures for adding and editing eprint records
- Each user enters eprints into their workspace
- When ready, a user enters a finished eprint record into the buffer
- Once validated, an editor moves the eprint record into the public archive
- In exceptional circumstances, an editor could move the eprint record from the public archive to the delete buffer
An EPrints archive maintains a level of isolation between the public archive and the new eprints that are being deposited by assigning each registered user their own workspace. This is the area where new eprint records are stored temporarily until all the metadata has been filled out and the user finally presses the "Deposit >" button.
This means that you can fill out the metadata for a new eprint in several sessions - especially useful if you find that you are missing a crucial piece of information such as the page numbers of the article. Every time you press the "Next >" button indicating you have completed one of the steps in adding a new eprint record, the partial data on that page is saved into the new eprint record in your workspace. If you return to your EPrints User Area later, you will find a listing of your unfinished eprints which you choose to delete, deposit or to finish editing.
When the "Deposit >" button is finally pressed, the new eprint record moves out of the user's individual workspace into the system-wide buffer. This is a region in the archive where the newly-created records may be held for editorial inspection to implement an institutional quality assurance policy. The aim of this is to improve the quality of the metadata (ensure that names have been entered correctly, that no important data is missing and to correct typos), at the cost of some delay before the eprint record can be seen.
In fact, the archive administrators may choose to disable the buffer, so that new EPrints are deposited straight into the public archive. This may be the case in an environment where speed is of the essence, or the model of system-wide quality control is not approporiate. In a University, for example, individual academics may prefer to take responsibility for their own metadata. In this case, users should be able to directly edit, update and delete eprints in the public archive.
If a buffer is used, a number of editors will be appointed, each of whom is given responsibility for a particular set of eprints (e.g. those deposited by a specific research group). They will receive email notification that your new eprint is ready to be deposited. Exactly who is responsible for making the final decision, the acceptable delay for checking and the reasons for which records will be returned for correction is down to the policy of the institution which is hosting the archives. After checking, the editors can deposit the eprint into the live archive, or return it to the user's workarea for corrections.
Another power that an editor has is the ability to move an eprint from the live archive into the Delete Buffer. When an eprint is deleted, it doesn't disappear completely. Instead, it is transferred to the Delete Buffer, leaving a record of its previous existence. Once there, it will no longer appear as a result of searches, but if its page has been explicitly linked to, it will now display as "deleted", along with a pointer to any later version.
Consequently, there are a number of classes of users of an EPrints archive
- ordinary users who can browse and search the archive's public contents
- registered users who can create new eprints in their workspace and who can deposit them into the buffer
- editors who have the authority to deposit new eprints from the buffer into the live archive (and vice versa) and to delete eprints by placing them into the delete buffer
- there are also archive administrators who have the ability to turn users into editors and who can make radical changes to the running of the archive.