Why Contribute?

Why Contribute to EXHIBIT?

  • Increased citation rates - articles made available in open-access archives are cited more frequently than those published only in traditional subscription-based journals, which means that your research is more widely used and makes a greater contribution to the scholarly record.
  • Increased visibility - Depositing your work in EXHIBIT will make it more visible to search engines like Google Scholar. A listing of materials in EXHIBIT is also regularly harvested by aggregators of academic information such as WorldCat, making it even more discoverable.
  • Trustworthy preservation - Computers crash, flash drives fail, and file formats become obsolete and unreadable. Ensure the longevity of your works by depositing them with a trusted archive. Xavier University Library is committed to preserving works deposited in EXHIBIT and making sure they are accessible for future generations of scholars.
  • Go beyond traditional publishing - EXHIBIT is a great place to deposit materials that may enhance a journal article (data sets, images, etc.) but that may not fit into the traditional publishing model. It can also serve as an archive of materials not well served by traditional publication, such as presentation slides, gray literature, or field notes.
  • Sharing simplified - EXHIBIT is an online repository of your research that makes it easy to share materials and keep colleagues up to date with your latest publications. Instead of sending files (not to mention tracking down the right version of your paper), send a link to the item in EXHIBIT. Once you create an account, you can also create an email subscription list or an RSS feed to automatically send out notifications of new works.
  • Get feedback on usage - All contributors to EXHIBIT receive an automatic monthly email that provides information on the number of times your works have been viewed and downloaded.
  • Expand access to knowledge - Works deposited in EXHIBIT can be freely accessed by anyone, regardless of institutional affiliation, academic credentials, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or any other classification.
  • Attract prospective students - A robust institutional repository helps persons outside the university, including prospective students applying to academic programs, to understand a department’s research programs and goals.
  • Institutional Recognition - Provides one-stop searching for key documents related to your institution. Provides context for your work by placing it side-by-side with the scholarly and creative contributions of your colleagues. Complements existing print and electronic sources in your field.