Frequently Asked Questions


What is SOPHIA?

SOPHIA is the online repository provided by the St. Catherine University Library. Its purpose is to collect and make accessible new knowledge created by the students, faculty, and staff of the University, encourage collaboration and innovation, and increase the visibility of our research and scholarship.

{ top }

How do I contact the repository administrator?

Please contact us by email at sophiair@stkate.edu

{ top }

I don't have electronic versions of old working papers that I'd like to include in the repository. Is it okay to scan the printed page to a PDF file?

Yes--scanning printed pages is a great way to create PDF files for inclusion in the repository. There are two ways to scan a page: using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) or scanning the page as an image. Making OCR scans requires careful proofreading and loses the original formatting of the documents. Image scans cannot be searched. The best solution takes advantage of both of these methods. Many software applications allow for the OCR capture of image scans. When documents are scanned this way, users see the image scan but search the full-text of the document. This is the preferred method for scanning documents for the repository.

{ top }

When I copy and paste abstracts into the Submit form, some formatted text reverts to plain text. What's going on?

When copying abstracts from a word processing file or a PDF file, and pasting the text into the submission form, you are taking text from an environment that supports fonts and text style changes. Because the abstract is intended to be presented on the web, text styles must be specified using HTML codes.

If submitting an abstract in HTML format, please be sure to select the corresponding option on the submission form.

The following HTML tags are recognized by the system and may be used to format an abstract (use lowercase tags):

How to include HTML tags

HTML tags
<p> - paragraph
<p>This is the first paragraph.</p>
<p>This is the second paragraph.</p>

This is the first paragraph.

This is the second paragraph.

<br /> - line break
<p>This is a line of text with a linebreak here. <br /> This is text after</p>

This is a line of text with a linebreak here.
This is text after
<strong> - strong/bold
<strong>bold text</strong>

bold text

<em> - italics/emphasis
<em>italicized text</em>

italicized text

<sub> - subscript
Text with <sub>subscript</sub>

Text with subscript
<sup> - superscript
Text with <sup>superscript</sup>

Text with superscript

{ top }

How do I include accents and special characters in the abstracts and titles?

The repository software supports the worldwide character set (Unicode, utf-8). Accents, symbols, and other special characters may be copied and pasted into the abstract or title field from a word processing file or typed in directly. Windows users may also use the Character Map to insert these characters. Macintosh users may use the Character Palette (available via Edit > Special Characters in the Finder).

{ top }

How do I revise a submission?

To revise a submission that has been posted to the repository, contact the repository administrator at sophiair@stkate.edu with the new version.

How can I submit a multi-part file, such as multiple chapters for a book?

Combine all the sections together as one PDF file and submit that.

To make one PDF file from multiple files, open the first PDF file, then choose Document>Insert Pages from Acrobat's menus to insert the second file (indicate it should go after the last page of the first file), and repeat for all documents. The result will be one compound PDF file which may then be submitted.

If you feel that the one large PDF file might be too large for some people to download, we suggest that you submit the consolidated file as the full text of the article, and then upload the separate chapters or sections of the document as Additional Files. These files will appear on the web page alongside the complete document. For more information about uploading associated files, see below.

{ top }

Can I submit media files with the research project?

First, make certain your media file is saved in an accepted format. Video formats include: 3GP, ASX, AVI, F4V, FLV, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPG/MPEG, WMV. Audio formats include: AAC, AC3, AIF/AIFF, FLAC, M4A, MP3, WAV, WMA. Alternatively, you can provide a link to your web or streaming media file (e.g., your media is posted on YouTube). A librarian will have to upload your media files for you. Send an email to sophiair@stkate.edu so details can be arranged.

Please be sure that there are no permissions issues related to use of the associated material. Sometimes, especially with images, you must write a letter seeking permission to use the material before it can be posted.

Also note that where possible, items such as images, charts and tables that are referenced in the document (or otherwise an integral part of the document) should be included directly in the article itself and not posted as supplemental files.

{ top }

Can I post a reprint from a journal?

It depends on what the journal allows, which is usually specified in your author agreement. If it does not violate copyright to post the reprint on your repository site, you're welcome to do so. Permissions for many publishers can be found at Sherpa Romeo.

{ top }

A paper I submitted to Sophia has been published in a slightly revised form in a journal. What should I do?

Many journals do not have any restrictions on pre-print papers that preceded an article, especially if substantial revisions were made. You should check your author agreement with the journal to confirm that there is no problem with leaving your paper on the site. The Sophia repository constitutes noncommercial use.

Assuming your paper does remain posted in the repository, it is a good idea to include the citation to the published article as an addendum to your paper in Sophia. Please contact sophiair@stkate.edu to request this change.

{ top }