Publications removed from ResearchGate

Recently two publishers (Elsevier and ACS) demanded ResearchGate to remove over 200,000 publications from its website due to copyright infringement. This included publications shared by Utrecht University researchers as well. Fortunately, there are alternatives to share your publications.

Share your publications in the Utrecht University Repository

Thanks to the Dutch Copyright Law you can legally share a copy of your articles and book chapters in the Utrecht University Repository, 6 months after publication. You only need to give the library a one-time permission to share your papers. On your behalf, the library will share all articles and book chapters that you register in PURE. This is a sustainable way to share your publications and safeguards you from possible take-down actions by publishers. All publications shared via the UU repository can be found online via Google Scholar and other search systems.  

What about ResearchGate? 

ResearchGate is a platform where you can showcase your research and connect with your peers. It is a platform where you can improve your visibility. However, ResearchGate is, similar to for example, Academia.edu, a commercial company. It strives to collect as many publications as possible and to keep the researcher and his profile information and data locked in its platform.  

In their turn, publishers like Elsevier are also commercial companies that actively seek to remove content from ResearchGate and only allow you to share your publications in non-commercial repositories. You as a researcher can feel caught in the middle.  

Platforms such as ResearchGate are ideal for social networking, less so for sharing papers in a sustainable way. Experts of Utrecht University Library can assist you in making your papers freely available. Sign up via this form to start sharing your publications online via the Utrecht University Repository.