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Modification and Removal of CDR Content

Modification

Content in the Carolina Digital Repository (CDR) normally will not require modification. However, depositors may wish to upload a new version of their content or edit their item’s description.
Depositors may upload a new version of their content. Since previous versions of the content may have been cited, the CDR will display a note to the item’s “File Details” page to indicate that it has been replaced by a new version. Errata and corrigenda may be uploaded to the original deposit record by the depositor or can be added by CDR staff upon request. CDR staff can help depositors best represent versions of their content, add DOIs, and manage errata.
New versions of the following content types will need to be approved by the appropriate University unit:

  • Undergraduate Honor’s Theses
  • Master’s Papers
  • Dissertations and Theses

If the description of honors theses, masters papers, dissertations or theses needs to be modified, the depositor should contact the CDR and include a description of the modification and the desired correction.

Library Rights

The CDR reserves the right to deny modification and file replacement requests.  The CDR will make metadata available to search engines and metadata harvesters.
The CDR will also alter file descriptions and other metadata as needed to improve the collection and discoverability. CDR metadata can be used for non-profit purposes without explicit permission.

Removal

The CDR is intended to be a permanent record of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s scholarly output. However, there may be circumstances under which content may be removed.
To preserve the scholarly record, items other than data may not be permanently deleted unless they contain extremely sensitive personal information. Rather, items will be removed from public view and made accessible to repository administrators only. Due to the unique nature of data, the CDR may permanently delete data deposits as part of a data retention review. For more information on the data retention review process, see the Data Deposit Policy.
Items may be withdrawn from the CDR for several reasons:

  • Copyright violation (see the “Copyright Concerns” section of this policy)
  • Plagiarism
  • Factual inaccuracies or falsified data
  • Legal requirements
  • Discretion of the UNC Libraries

Individuals requesting removal of their item from the CDR may contact the CDR with the title of the work, a link to the work, and the reason for the removal request. If a third party flags an item for removal, the CDR will make a reasonable effort to contact the depositor. Alternately, depositors may log into their CDR account and click the “Request Deletion” button on the work’s metadata record. This action will not permanently delete the item but will flag it for the CDR staff to review.
Requests to remove the following content types will need to be approved by the appropriate University unit:

  • Undergraduate Honor’s Theses
  • Master’s Papers
  • Dissertations and Theses

The CDR will not remove items if the depositor leaves UNC, as the non-exclusive deposit agreement allows depositors to deposit their content at their new institution. The CDR will update contact information in the item’s description upon the depositor’s request.
If the content is approved for removal, a “tombstone” record will be created. This record will display the description of the file with a note indicating removal and the reason for removal. This process will ensure that links to the file will still function and that proper context is provided for a viewer of the record.

Copyright Concerns

There exists the possibility that complaints arise regarding alleged copyright or licensing infringement violations pertaining to material included in the CDR, or material that is deemed to be potentially libelous, plagiarized, or legally offensive. In the event that such a complaint is made, it will be referred to the Scholarly Communications Officer within one working day of receipt. The Scholarly Communications Officer will be responsible for assessing, within a second working day, what risks may be incurred by leaving the offending materials accessible or visible. If such risk seems likely, the Institutional Repository Librarian will take action to make the digital object inaccessible, although some metadata relating to the material may remain searchable and viewable.
The Institutional Repository Librarian or Scholarly Communications Officer should inform the depositor of the material that a complaint has been lodged. The Scholarly Communications Officer may also seek the advice of University Counsel in determining the ultimate resolution of the complaint. A record of the complaint and its resolution should be recorded with the metadata for the collection of which the object or objects are a part and associated with the submission agreement under which the material was acquired.