Albert - Getting Started Guide

Thank you for your interest in depositing your work in the Albert repository. This guide is an introduction to working with the system, meant to be used in conjunction with an in-person meeting with the Albert team. Before scheduling this meeting, we recommend taking the following steps.

Step 1: Request an account

To request an account, please:

  1. Send an email to albertsupport@ias.edu to request an account. We can assign to you the necessary permissions to add your work within the appropriate communities and collections.
  2. After receiving confirmation that your account has been created, log in to the Albert system (https://albert.ias.edu) with your standard IAS username and password. This can be done by clicking the Login link in the upper right-hand corner of the Albert homepage.

NOTE: You can also designate additional proxy users (such as an assistant or collaborator) who can also deposit documents to your collection on your behalf. They will also need to follow these steps themselves so we can assign them the permissions to do so.

Step 2: Prepare your documents

Once you have your account and the correct permissions setup, the next step is to begin preparing the documents that you are going to deposit in Albert. Files should be named using the following convention:

[Lastname]_[Publication Year]_[Title].[format]

For example: Doe_2016_Albert-Getting-Started.pdf

In addition, we recommend you review the files you will be uploading to ensure they are “clean”. Things to look out for include: inter-library loan header pages; annotations; and extra pages, among others.

For each submission, you will be able to provide a great deal of details (metadata) about your document. Not all fields are required, but the more information you provide the better your documents are indexed and be included in the results for relevant searches. The following is a sample of the information that can be collected:

  • Author Name(s)
  • Title
  • Date Issued
  • Citation
  • Language
  • Publisher
  • Subject(s)
  • Identifiers(s)
  • Abstract
  • Keyword(s)

We recommend compiling (or knowing where to find) this information for each submission ahead of time, as the submission process is smoothest when the information is readily available.

The last step before completing a submission requires that you (or your designated proxy) agree to the Distribution License. This agreement ensures that you have the legal permission to include this work within the repository. Please double check that the version(s) of the document(s) you have available and plan to submit are those permitted by copyright. Once you accept the submission is complete and you will receive an email indicating so.

Step 3: Schedule a meeting with an Albert Administrator

Once you have your documents ready to be deposited, we recommend you schedule a meeting with a member of the Albert Administrator’s team by sending an email to albertsupport@ias.edu. During this meeting we will review the material to be included and assist you with your initial submission as well as setting up your profile (a photo can also be included). We will also answer any additional questions you might have about the system and its usage.

Step 4: Go ahead and deposit!

Once you have reached this point, you are free to continue adding your documents in the system at your convenience or as they become available.