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1 year ago in Publishing and Access By Vinod D
What are "academic social networks" like ResearchGate and Academia.edu, and are they good for sharing papers?
Everyone in my lab uses ResearchGate. Is it okay to upload my published papers there? What's the difference between ResearchGate and my institutional repository, and could I get in trouble with my publisher for using these sites?
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By Joshna Answered 1 month ago
These platforms are for-profit companies, not public services. While they increase visibility, uploading the final publisher PDF often violates your copyright transfer agreement. Publishers have sent mass takedown notices. A safer approach: 1) Upload only the "Author's Accepted Manuscript" (postprint) if the publisher's policy allows it (check SHERPA/RoMEO). 2) Simply add a link to the official published version. 3) Use your institutional repository as your primary sharing hub—it's non-commercial, preserves your work long-term, and is often compliant with funder mandates. ResearchGate can be useful for networking and metrics, but don't rely on it as your archive. Your university repository is a more secure, rights-respecting choice that your library can help manage.
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