Frequently asked questions about DiVA

Answers to frequently asked questions about DiVA

Why should I register in DiVA?

DiVA works as

• a channel for disseminating research results;
• the archive of the university's scientific output;
• the basis for research-related statistics (local, national and international);
• a basis for allocating funds to faculties; and
• a tool for exporting publications and publication lists to other systems.

The importance of registration in DiVA is established in Umeå University's policy for scholarly publishing:

Open Access Policy for scientific publishing at Umeå University

What should I register?

All publications written by researchers employed at Umeå University must be registered in DiVA to provide an overall picture of the University’s publishing.

Publications include, for example:

• theses;
• articles in journals;
• book reviews and articles in newspapers and popular science journals;
• books/collections;
• popular science monographs;
• new editions of previously published material;
• conference papers; and
• reports.

DiVA also records works that are not regular publications, such as works considered artistic output. These include, for example:

• music compositions;
• visual art;
• design/architecture;
• crafts;
• film;
• video;
• TV;
• radio; and
• performances.

Editorship is registered for the following material:

• collections;
• proceedings; and
• special issues of periodicals.

What should I not register? 

The basic rule for registration in DiVA is that the record refers to published material. Projects and tasks with no publications and unpublished material should not be registered.

Examples of material that should not be registered:

• textbooks;
• compendia; and
• lectures/presentations in teaching, or equivalent.

What can I publish in full text?

You can upload and publish full-text publications that are published open access with a Creative Commons licence in DiVA. If the publication does not have a licence for republication, the full text can be published in DiVA if you have the publisher's permission.

Read more about registration in DiVA

Can I register publications that I have written at another institution? 

Yes, you can register/import publications written at other institutions. These publications will then also be included in your publication list on umu.se. 

You need to enter your UMU ID for a publication to appear on your personal page. If you have an ORCID, it is an advantage if you also enter it.

Remember that it is the institution mentioned in the publication that you should write when registering, not the current departmental affiliation.

Manual: Import publications to DiVA

Can I register older research publications related to Umeå University?

Yes, you can. If copyright permits, it may also be possible to digitise your publication and upload it to DiVA in full text.

Digitisation of your publication

What counts as authorship in DiVA?

The requirements for registering as an author of an article in DiVA are the same as for scientific publishing in general.

From the guidelines for authorship in scientific publishing established by the Medical Faculty Board at Umeå University on 10 February 2021:

Merited for authorship is a person who:

1. made tangible and intellectual contributions to the idea or design of the project; or data collection, analysis or interpretation of data; AND
2. has written a draft of the article, or critically revised the draft for intellectually important content; AND
3. finally approved of the article for publication; AND
4. agreed to be responsible for all aspects of the work by ensuring that issues of accuracy and honesty have been appropriately investigated and ensured.

Points 1-4 must all be met. The person who meets the qualifications in points 1 - 4 above shall be a co-author.

Consequently, a researcher who is mentioned in an article as a 'collaborator' or who has provided input to an article via a 'study group' shall not be registered as an author of the article.

Can I make changes to my DiVA records myself?

You can make changes to your DiVA record yourself, but only if the record does not have an uploaded full text or has not undergone bibliographic review by the library. If you have registered a thesis, you cannot change the record afterwards, either.

The DiVA administrator at your institution can help you with changes to a record you cannot edit yourself. Each department/unit also has student thesis administrators who can change thesis records.

Only library staff can make changes to licentiate and doctoral thesis records.

Answers to frequently asked questions about theses

Can the library help me register my thesis in DiVA?

Since you have the most knowledge about your thesis and defence, it is best that you register the thesis yourself in DiVA. Follow the instructions:

Publish your thesis

Contact the library if you have any questions regarding the registration or if you are not able to register a thesis in DiVA.

Can I replace the full text in DiVA with an updated version (after the posting)?

No. If you discover errors in the thesis after it has been posted, you can make a list with corrections (an errata sheet). Send the errata sheet to publicering.ub@umu.se, and we will upload it to DiVA. The errata template can be found in the University's templates for printed material:

Templates with logo (UMU ID required)

I have been authorised to postpone the electronic publication of my thesis. Do I still need to register it in DiVA three days before my posting date?

You must register your thesis in DiVA at least three working days before your posting date. The library sets an embargo for the publication of the thesis in accordance with the faculty’s decision. The full text of your thesis will be published and visible in DiVA after the embargo. Information about the thesis, including the abstract and posting sheet, will be visible in DiVA on your posting date. Follow the instructions at:

Publish your thesis

Should the compilation thesis contain all appended papers?

You should include all your connected works in the printed version of your thesis, including unpublished manuscripts. In order to include published works in your thesis, you must have either retained the copyright or have permission from the publisher to whom you have transferred the copyright. This permission can either be included in the publishing agreement you signed with the publisher, or you can apply for one via the publisher's website.

In the digital version of your thesis in DiVA, you should only publish your comprehensive summary (“kappa”). Papers, including unpublished works, should be registered separately in DiVA before you register the thesis.

Can I assign a Creative Commons licence to my thesis?

For monographs, where you have the copyright, you can choose to license under a Creative Commons licence. For compilation theses, you can only put a Creative Commons licence on the comprehensive summary, not the connected works. Remember that other copyrights may protect any illustrations in the comprehensive summary. You own the copyright to any connected works that are unpublished.

If you publish your monograph with a publisher, the choice is not always up to you, but sometimes, the publisher allows the thesis to be licensed under a Creative Commons licence. Check with the publisher to see ​what applies, or contact the library.

You can learn more about licensing material under Creative Commons in the library's open course:

Online course: Creative Commons licences in scholarly publishing

What do I do if I want to use a picture or illustration in my thesis?

You can find more information on how to use and reference images on the library website:

Copyright and images