Introduction:

The Forced Migration Research Archive (FMRA) is a subject-focused community housed within YorkSpace, York University’s Institutional Repository. Items deposited in YorkSpace via FMRA are assured greater visibility, enhanced discovery by search engines, stable access, and long-term preservation. Other benefits of self-archiving can be found here.

**In addition to postprints of relevant peer-reviewed journal articles, FMRA welcomes submissions of the following open access materials, in English, French or Spanish: journal articles, books and book chapters; research reports, policy briefs and working papers; and theses and dissertations.**

Preparing for your submission:

A. Postprints of journal articles:

  1. Have you published an article in a peer-reviewed subscription-based journal (e.g., Journal of Refugee Studies, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, International Migration, etc.)? [See Section A under “Supplementary Information” below for additional journal resources.]
  2. Does the subject of your article focus on “forced migration”? [FMRA recognizes that the categories of “voluntary” and “forced” migration are not mutually exclusive; in reality, both involve degrees of compulsion and choice. Click here for a sampling of some of the ongoing discussions around terminology, concepts, categories and their evolution.]
  3. Is your article available in English, French or Spanish?
  4. Do you have a postprint version of the article that you published? Definition: “A postprint is a digital draft of a research journal article after it has been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication, but before it has been typeset and formatted by the journal” (Wikipedia). Also referred to as “author accepted manuscript (AAM)” and “accepted version.” [If you aren’t certain, see Section B under “Supplementary Information” below for resources that can help you identify/locate your postprint.]
  5. Does the journal publisher allow postprints to be deposited (or self-archived) in a subject repository? If you aren’t certain, you can still proceed with your submission and a York University librarian will verify the journal’s self-archiving policy for you. [See Section C under “Supplementary Information” below for more information on journal self-archiving policies.]
  6. Does the journal publisher impose an embargo period on deposited postprints? If yes or if you aren’t sure, you can still submit your postprint to FMRA, but the complete text will not be accessible until the embargo period has passed. [See Section C below for more information on embargoes.]

B. Other open access materials:

The following forced migration-related publication types, in English, French or Spanish, can also be deposited in FMRA:

  • open access journal articles
  • open access monographs and edited volumes
  • open access contributions to monographs or edited volumes
  • research reports, policy briefs and working papers
  • theses and dissertations

Completing the submission form:

  1. The form is available here: https://refugeeresearch.net/ms/fmra/submission-form/
  2. Please try to complete all of the fields; those marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
  3. Click on the “select files” button to upload your publication in PDF format.
  4. A field is provided for your feedback regarding the deposit process or any questions that you might have about open access more generally.
  5. Finally, please note that you must consent to the Non-Exclusive distribution license that allows York University Libraries to preserve and provide access to the material you deposit, and that also allows you to retain your rights as a copyright holder.
  6. Once you click on the “submit” button, you will see a message that thanks you for your submission and provides a link back to the submission form in the event that you would like to deposit additional items. If you do not see the form after clicking on the link, please refresh your browser.

After your submission:

  1. You will receive an automated email confirming receipt of your submission.
  2. You may be contacted by a York University librarian if there are any further considerations relating to your submission.
  3. Finally, when your postprint has been officially deposited in the FMRA, you will receive a confirmation email from a York University librarian.

If you have any questions, please email FMresearcharchive@gmail.com.

Supplementary information:

A. Journal resources that may assist you in identifying a relevant journal to submit to:

  1. Journal quality:
  2. Lists of journals published by major international publishers (note that some of these listings also include titles of fully open access – i.e., gold – journals):

B. Resources that can help you identify & locate postprints:

C. A quick overview of journal publishers’ self-archiving policies:

  • Most journal publishers place restrictions on where and when a postprint can be self-archived (or deposited). The location of and the timing for the deposit are usually inter-linked. For example, postprints of articles published in the Journal of Refugee Studies (JRS) can be deposited in institutional or subject repositories but the text of the postprint cannot be accessed by the public until a 24-month embargo has passed, beginning from the date that the article was published online. [Example: This JRS article was published online on 30 June 2022; a postprint of the article was deposited in the Univ. of Birmingham’s repository and the full-text will be publicly available once the embargo period terminates on 30 June 2024.]
  • Conversely, those very same Journal of Refugee Studies postprints can be deposited immediately on authors’ personal websites! Journal publishers that allow immediate posting of postprints on author websites, but require embargoes for repositories, include Oxford Univ. Press, Springer and Taylor & Francis.
  • A number of journal publishers allow the immediate deposit of postprints in both repositories and on websites after an article has been published. These are referred to as zero embargo publishers, and they include, among others, Brill, Cambridge University Press, Emerald and Sage Journals. [Example: This article was published in one of Brill’s journals, European Journal of Migration and Law, on 4 March 2022; the postprint was deposited in the Cadmus repository on 19 April 2022 and the full-text could be accessed immediately.]
  • More often than not, journal publishers prohibit the posting of postprints on academic social networks like Academia.edu and ResearchGate.
  • Sherpa Romeo is a service designed to help authors more easily sift through publisher policies. For example, compare Sherpa Romeo’s entry for the Journal of Refugee Studies with a description of the self-archiving policy on the JRS website. As a rule of thumb, it’s always a good idea to check journal policies in Sherpa Romeo prior to depositing your postprint!
  • For a quick summary of self-archiving policies for key forced migration-related journals, check out this table. And for a more detailed overview on self-archiving postprints complete with examples, take a look at this explainer.