The OPS is currently in a soft launch phase. A formal submission process is in development.

However, if you wish to submit a digital publication proposal, please write to onlinepublications@uchicago.edu. Briefly explain the project and atttach a curriculum vitae. You may also consider including a link to a portion of the dataset.

Q. How long will the data be available?

A. Data durability is a central concern of the OPS. The OPS is partnering with the University of Chicago Library and is committed to maintaining the durability of research publications for the life of the University. The OPS seeks to solve the problem of digital graveyards full of dead links. While it is common to define a data management plan for 10 years, the University of Chicago is acknowledging that the future of publication is digital and that data management plans need to be much longer. We adopt the analogy of the printed book on the shelf of the library. It is carefully maintained and cataloged by the library system for centuries in some cases. There is no reason to place data in a lesser category. Data deserves to be preserved and made available over generational spans.

Q. What files can I publish?

A. The OPS uses a unified backend database to organize any type of data: tabular, image, GIS/spatial, audio-visual, 3D. Any file that can be viewed natively on the web or transferred securely to the end user can be published.

Q. How much does it cost?

A. Publications will be available as free open access items. As is the case with many print publications, a flat publication subvention fee may apply. However, our intention is to avoid a pricing model whereby the researcher is charged by the number and size of files. By instantiating the OPS within the robust digital infrastructure of the University of Chicago, we work at scale to reduce storage and maintenance costs. Further, the OPS does not work under a profit model that requires the sale of a minimal number of printed volumes.