While the campus and libraries have been closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the library staff is still committed to providing access and upgrades to its resources. One of these upgrades is to the Fordham University Institutional Repository, now called Fordham Research Commons (FRC). 

The new upgrade will not change any of the current content, usability, or discoverability, but will refresh the look and feel of the Institutional Repository.

“The Fordham University Library’s research repository “DigitalResearch@Fordham” is changing its name and getting a brand new look and feel.  On May 20^th, 2020 “DigitalResearch@Fordham” will become Fordham Research Commons.  This redesigned repository will be more intuitive and easier to navigate but still have the same powerful underlying platform with full text indexing in Google and Google Scholar.  The Fordham Research Commons will be a home for your scholarship, it will provide enhanced discoverability and impact for your work, and, as an open access repository, it will expand access to your colleagues. We invite you to take a look at Fordham Research Commons. If you haven’t deposited any of your research in the Library’s repository, now would be a great time to start.”

– Linda Loschiavo, Director of Libraries at Fordham University. May 2020.

For those of our readers who have not yet used the Institutional Repository, or for those who have more questions, check out our brief FAQ below.

What is the Fordham Research Commons (FRC)?

It is an electronic repository showcasing the research and scholarly ‘outputs’ of Fordham University. It contains both published and unpublished work, selected by the faculty members, academic departments, and research centers that comprise Fordham’s diverse community.

Who can contribute?

FRC is always looking for more contributions. Contributors must be a member of the Fordham University community, and the content must be academic in nature.

Where can I access the content from?

FRC is accessible from anywhere in the world with no logins or passwords needed to read and download content.

How can I learn more about contributing?

If you’d like to learn more about contributing to the Fordham Research Commons, use the “Contact Us” form on the website. Librarians are standing by to answer your questions and help get you started.

Why should I contribute to the repository?

There are many reasons to contribute to the Research Commons! FRC has no paywalls so you can share your work easily with your colleagues. Another benefit is that your work is immediately discoverable once it is uploaded and approved. By making content available on the FRC, contributors will more easily be able to share their own research with others in the academic community which may lead to future support and collaborations.

What else is the library doing to update the repository?

Updating the FRC is an ongoing process. The library staff will continue to work on making the Research Commons an easy to use platform for the Fordham community to showcase their work. We hope to make the contribution process more streamlined and broaden the types of content it contains. We are also working to optimize the findability of contents in the FRC by upgrading the metadata and, in turn, the indexing done by Google Scholar.

If you have any questions or want more information please contact Mariah Lewis, Metadata Management Librarian at mlewis83@fordham.edu or Kirsten Lee, Distance Learning Liaison at bkilee@fordham.edu.

Stay tuned for future updates on the Fordham Research Commons!