If your work involves human subjects, you must obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). This approval must be obtained prior to conducting research, not after. If you did not obtain this approval, contact the repository administrator to discuss your options for uploading work to Merrimack ScholarWorks.
Some examples of research that involves human subjects:
It's public. Your work will be available to anyone, anywhere, forever. The link will not change. You may share it on your resume, graduate school applications, website, or in any way you like.
It's findable. Publications are indexed by Google, Google Scholar, etc, and are easily findable on the free web.
It's still yours. You retain copyright, and the work is still yours to do with as you please. You may continue to revise it and even to submit it for publication in a journal.
It's the final step. By making your works openly available through Merrimack ScholarWorks you are completing the scholarly research cycle, and adding to the ongoing research conversation of your subject.
Authors maintain copyright of works published in Merrimack ScholarWorks, so works may be submitted for publication elsewhere. Some journals require that manuscripts not be previously published. It is our understanding that publishing in a repository like Merrimack ScholarWorks does not constitute a previous publication. For many disciplines, having your work available online will not negatively impact your chances of publishing your work in an academic journal. However, if you have concerns about a specific journal, please consult with us (scholarworks@merrimack.edu)
If student work involves ongoing faculty research or data that is not appropriate to share publicly, please speak with us about embargo options.