Infoscience FAQ¶
You have questions about Infoscience? We encourage you to first consult the thematic Help pages.
Otherwise, you will find the most frequently asked questions below. If you can't find an answer, email us at infoscience@epfl.ch.
Generalities¶
Q1 — I can't connect: what should I do?
Please check that your EPFL identifiers have been entered correctly. If the problem persists, contact the Infoscience team infoscience@epfl.ch
Q2 — Do I have to submit all my publications to Infoscience?
In accordance with LEX n° 3.5.1 (EPFL Open Access Policy), “EPFL authors must deposit all their publications in the Infoscience institutional archive and provide access to them in accordance with the conditions imposed by the publishers. This deposit must be made no later than 6 months after the date of publication in accordance with the principle of Green Open Access”.
Q3 — Can I report publications produced outside EPFL?
Yes, you can enter all your scientific output in Infoscience, including work carried out before you arrived at EPFL. Don’t forget to tick the “No” box in the “Written at EPFL” field of the entry form, before submitting these records! You can import a list of existing publications. To do so, please refer to the Submit a publication section. The Infoscience team can assist you with this task. Please contact us at infoscience@epfl.ch.
Q4 — Do I have to submit my publications myself?
It is your responsibility to ensure that all your publications are deposited in Infoscience. You can deposit your publications yourself (manually or using an external database), or delegate this right to another member of staff. Please note that the Infoscience team regularly imports publications from trusted sources (Web of Science, Scopus, Crossref, Datacite, OpenAlex and Unpaywall) for which at least one author is affiliated to EPFL.
Q5 — Is it possible to retrieve publications already listed on another site (Google Scholar, Zotero, ResearchGate, etc.)?
You can import a list of publications from a bibliographic database by inserting your BibTeX file. (link)
Q6 — Do I have to submit patents for my inventions myself?
No, because the Infoscience team regularly imports new EPFL patents from EspaceNet. The Technology Transfer Office validates this type of document before publication on Infoscience.
Q7 — Do I have to submit my thesis myself?
No, because the Infoscience team, in agreement with the Doctoral School, is responsible for the periodic deposit of theses in Infoscience, in compliance with the conditions you have specified.
Q8 — I'm a student: can I submit my Master's thesis?
If you are affiliated to the ENAC faculty, please note that this faculty is responsible for referencing and systematically distributing the master’s work of its students. So there’s nothing for you to do. If you are affiliated to another faculty, you may submit your work with the agreement of the professor who supervised your work. Please contact your section secretariat for further details.
Q9 — I am new to EPFL: what should I do?
As soon as you have created your profile in People-EPFL, you can access Infoscience using your EPFL login. When you log in for the first time, you will be asked to accept the conditions of use. Your rights in Infoscience (reading, filing, editing, etc.) are configured according to your status at EPFL. Do not hesitate to contact the Infoscience team for any information: infoscience@epfl.ch
Q10 — I'm changing laboratories: what should I do?
As soon as your new affiliation is displayed on your People-EPFL page, it is reflected in your Infoscience profile. Your future publications will automatically be linked to your new laboratory/unit.
Q11 — I'm an author and my name can take different forms: how do I manage these variations?
You can add to your Infoscience profile the different forms of your name, as they are likely to appear in your publications. This will allow Infoscience to group all your publications together. To find out more, visit the Manage my Infoscience profile page.
Q12 — Who manages the publications of a laboratory or unit?
In the latest version of Infoscience, this responsibility falls to the head of the unit or laboratory, who can remove the affiliation of a publication that has been linked to his/her laboratory. They can delegate this task to a person of their choice. To find out more, go to Manage my lab’s/unit’s page.
Q13 — How to consult a file in restricted access?
If you are an EPFL member, you can consult all restricted-access files: you must first authenticate yourself on the platform. If you are not an EPFL member: click on the “Request a copy” button. Once you’ve filled in the request form, if the author agrees, you’ll receive an e-mail containing a temporary access link to the file(s).
Q14 — I'm leaving EPFL: what should I do?
Your publications will be stored in Infoscience, the EPFL institutional platform. You can export them in various formats to your new institution’s platform.
Manage my publications¶
Q15 — What types of document are accepted in Infoscience?
Please refer to the Help page dedicated to document types.
Q16 — What file formats should I choose?
You will find all the information you need on the File naming and best practices.
Q17 — What is the maximum file size I can upload?
You can upload documents with a maximum size of 5 GB per file. If you are uploading several files with the same level of access and licence, it is preferable to upload them as a single zip file (GB max).
Q18 — Can I upload documents composed with LaTeX?
You can submit documents composed with LaTeX. Please check that the code is entered correctly.
Q19 — What are the differences between a preprint, a postprint and a final published version?
These terms refer to the 3 states of a publication, depending on how far along it is in the scientific publication cycle. For example, for an article : – article manuscript submitted to the publisher before peer review (preprint) ; – peer-reviewed article, accepted for publication in a journal and corrected by the author to meet the requests of the reviewers (accepted version – postprint); – article accepted by a journal, peer-reviewed, corrected by the author and edited by the publisher for publication (final published version).
Q20 — How can I obtain a DOI for my publication?
The EPFL Library automatically and systematically assigns a DOI to each EPFL doctoral thesis. This is not the case for other documents, which often already receive a DOI from publishers. You can ask the Infoscience team to assign a DOI to your publication. To find out more about the conditions for assigning a DOI, please refer to the page Obtain an identifier (Handle, DOI, ISBN).
Q21 — How do I add my ORCID identifier to my profile?
To link your ORCID iD to your Infoscience profile, you must first connect your EPFL account to your ORCID account using the ORCID Integration service. Once this step is completed, your ORCID iD will automatically be added to your Infoscience profile. More details and step‑by‑step instructions are available in the following page under the “Connect Your ORCID iD to Your Infoscience Profile” section.
Q22 — How can I change the type of document I have chosen for my filing?
Display the record concerned and select the “create a new version” option: the form allows you to select another type of document in the “Type” block, then confirm your entry. The new version will overwrite the previous one and go through the validation workflow again. Older versions remain accessible in the record history.
Q23 — How can I correct an error in the notice for my publication?
As the author of the publication, you can request a correction from the “Request a correction” menu. Modify the fields according to your wishes and click on Submit. Corrections will then be processed by the Infoscience team.
Q24 — How do I delete my publication?
Deposits cannot be deleted from Infoscience once they have been accepted and published. The Infoscience team may exceptionally restrict or remove access to deposited works in the event of : - infringement of copyright, - violation of EPFL guidelines on scientific integrity, - breach of confidentiality obligations, - withdrawal by the publisher. If you wish to remove a deposit, please send your request to infoscience@epfl.ch.
Q25 — How do I deal with duplicate publications?
Infoscience will inform you of potential duplicates at the time of a new submission. You will then have the option of confirming the duplicate and abandoning the current submission or rejecting it by entering a comment which will be sent to the Infoscience team for analysis. If you notice any duplicates while browsing, please do not hesitate to report them to infoscience@epfl.ch.
Q26 — How do I manage my preprint once the article has been published by the publisher?
You can create a new version of your previous repository. The published version will then be the official version released; the preprint will remain accessible via the version history (visible in the View all metadata menu (technical view).
Q27 — How do I link a dataset to my article?
In the submission form, you can use the “Linked resources” section to establish a relationship between two references. You can find advice on the Use the submission form page.
Q28 — Do I have to mention the name of the funder in my publication?
It is strongly recommended that you mention the funding you have obtained in the application form. Use the ‘Funding/Funder’ section and fill in the information. You will find advice on the Using the submission form page.
Dissemination¶
Q29 — How can I display the list of my publications on my people page?
Please refer to theCreate/Modify my publication lists page.
Q30 — How can I display a list of publications on my laboratory's page?
Please refer to the Create/Modify my publication lists page.
Q31 — Do I have to publish my Open Access publications in Infoscience?
In accordance with LEX n° 3.5.1 (EPFL Open Access Policy), “EPFL authors must deposit all their publications in the Infoscience institutional archive and provide access to them in accordance with the conditions imposed by the publishers. This deposit must be made no later than 6 months after the date of publication in accordance with the principle of Green Open Access”.
Q32 — The funder is asking me to publish my research results in Open Access: can Infoscience help me?
Many funding bodies, including the SNSF, require open access to the results of funded projects. Infoscience enables EPFL authors to comply with the Open Science requirements of the institution and funding bodies, by legally disseminating their publications and other academic output (Green Open Access).
Q33 — I don't know the distribution conditions (licence) for my publication. What should I do?
The Infoscience platform provides information on the Open Access policies of journals and publishers/ISSNs. The data, taken from Sherpa Romeo, enables you to determine which version of your publication you can deposit and whether dissemination restrictions (embargoes) apply.
Q34 — Access to my publication is restricted to EPFL users: how can I make it Open Access?
Open the corresponding notice and click on the “Request a correction” menu. Make your changes and then save them by clicking on Submit. The corrections will then be processed by the Infoscience team.
Q35 — What is an embargo?
The embargo refers to the period during which the full-text of a publication cannot be made accessible to the public: during this period, the publisher has a monopoly on its distribution. If the publisher imposes an embargo period, you are free to deposit your file in Infoscience whenever you wish by placing it under embargo, specifying its duration. The bibliographic references will be searchable and available for consultation, but the file will not be accessible until the embargo period has expired.
Q36 — My publication has been rejected by the Infoscience team: what should I do?
Each publication deposited in Infoscience undergoes rigorous verification of bibliographic data and copyright by the Infoscience team before distribution. The team first checks that the record meets the criteria required for deposit in Infoscience. If these conditions are not met (at least one EPFL-affiliated author, publication not already present in Infoscience), the record cannot be accepted and will be deleted. For more details, please refer to the Charter, the deposit licence and the conditions of use. If in doubt, the team will put the publication on hold in your dashboard and send you an e-mail with a request for information. You can then : - correct or complete the notice, then resubmit it. - answer the team’s questions by replying to the e-mail. Once the notice is complete and corrected, it can be accepted for publication on the platform.
Q37 — Is it possible to distribute course materials and photocopies on Infoscience?
Infoscience allows you, as a teacher, to distribute teaching resources and materials in Open Access, provided that they are free of third-party rights.
Q38 — The publication does not concern my laboratory. What can I do?
As a unit manager (or his/her delegate), you can modify the publication affiliations for the unit/laboratory for which you are responsible. For more information, please refer to the Manage my unit/laboratory page.
Search and consult¶
Q39 — The publication concerns my laboratory. How do I add the affiliation?
As a general rule, if one or more of the authors of the publication are affiliated with your laboratory/unit, the attachment is established automatically. However, you can add your laboratory to a record by submitting a correction request. Please refer to the page Submit a publication/ Update a published record. Please note that the head of the laboratory (or his/her delegate) may withdraw this affiliation. See the Manage my unit/laboratory page.
Q40 — Why can't I see the publication I've just submitted?
This repository is currently being validated by the Infoscience team before being put online. It will be visible and accessible as soon as the bibliographic checks have been completed. Note: during the validation process, your records are visible as “Draft” in the “Your repositories” page.
Q41 — Are all my publications listed in Infoscience?
Infoscience is fed : - on the one hand, via manual deposits made by the authors themselves (self-archiving) ; - and via imports from internal sources (IS-ACADEMIA for example) and external sources (bibliographic databases and other platforms). It is the responsibility of each author to check the completeness of his or her publication record and, if necessary, to complete it manually.
Q42 — Why do some records not provide full text, even though EPFL recommends Open Access?
This is due to legal considerations such as copyright restrictions, contracts with publishers and confidentiality clauses (particularly in the context of industrial partnerships).
Q43 — What is the link between Infoscience and Google Scholar?
Infoscience is regularly harvested by Google Scholar, which includes publications by EPFL authors. In addition, Infoscience authors’ profiles contain a link to their Google Scholar profile.
For any other question: infoscience@epfl.ch