Online Submission FAQs

Is my work a candidate for online submission?
I presented a paper at a conference several years ago, but forgot to submit it to ERIC. May I still do so?
How can I contribute my paper to ERIC?
I am submitting an unpublished work. What should I enter for the publication date?
My references, tables, slides, and text are in different files. Can't I just submit them one after the other?
How will I know if ERIC has accepted my submission? How long does it take for an accepted item to appear in the database? How will it appear?
If I submit a paper to ERIC, and it is added to the database, can I still publish the paper elsewhere?
What if I prepare multiple papers from the same study?
Will the ERIC record indicate whether my paper has been reviewed by others?
May I make changes to my paper after submission or inclusion in the database?
I receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education for my research. Must I submit my published work to ERIC?
Our organization produces materials (e.g., research reports) that are funded by the U.S. Department of Education. How should they be submitted to ERIC?
Whom can I contact with questions?

1. Is my work a candidate for online submission?
ERIC welcomes contributions that are education-related and meet the quality criteria set forth in the ERIC Selection Policy. The submitter must be the copyright holder. ERIC is actively seeking materials such as research papers, dissertations, conference papers, etc. Presentation slides and other optional supplementary files will be accepted only as appendices to the complete text of your paper or report.

2. I presented a paper at a conference several years ago, but forgot to submit it to ERIC. May I still do so?
Yes. ERIC welcomes contributions of materials meeting selection standards, regardless of the date. Your submission must be in one of the acceptable file formats (.pdf, .txt, .doc, or .rtf). ERIC does not accept hard copies of submissions.

3. How can I contribute my paper to ERIC?
Individuals may submit materials using ERIC's Online Submission system. Contributors can access the system through the My ERIC section of the website. (You will need to register for My ERIC, if you have not already done so, in order to use this feature.)

Before you begin, be sure your paper is ready for submission.

Remove personally identifying information about research participants such as names, Social Security numbers, or addresses. For privacy reasons, this information may not be included.
Remove your CV or resume if it is appended or included in the document.
Verify that all edits and corrections are complete, and that any editing marks from tracked changes are removed.
Verify that a cover page with the title, author name(s), and publication date is included; for unpublished works, use the date of document completion.
If the document is split into multiple files, use clear and distinct file names indicating the correct order in which the files should be assembled (e.g., index, chapters, appendices, etc.) to guide reassembly into a single PDF file.

To submit your paper:

Review and accept the agreement to authorize indexing and dissemination of the full text of your document through ERIC.
Attach and upload your file. Use WinZip or StuffIt to combine supplementary materials (such as slides and graphics) into a single file.
Complete a brief form to provide title, author[s], publication date, and a narrative (paragraph style) or structured (pre-defined headings) abstract describing the material content.
Make sure the uploaded content matches the data entered on the form.

4. I am submitting an unpublished work. What should I enter for the publication date?
You can use the date the document was completed. ERIC requires a publication year, at a minimum, for online submissions. You may also include a month and day as part of the date. The date on the cover page of your document must match the date recorded on the online submission form.

5. My references, tables, slides, and text are in different files. Can't I just submit them one after the other?
No. To ensure accuracy and completeness, ERIC requires contributors to combine all related files using WinZip (.zip) or StuffIt (.sfx) for submission. If you submit separate files, the addenda material (slides, tables, etc.) may be rejected as incomplete documents.

6. How will I know if ERIC has accepted my submission? How long does it take for an accepted item to appear in the database? How will it appear?
Contributors can access the system through the My ERIC section of the website and determine the status of their submission by using View My Submissions. Materials selected for inclusion in ERIC will be added to the collection within 30 days of submission. Accepted materials are indexed with an ED (ERIC Document) accession number, and 'Online Submission' is indicated in the Source field.

7. If I submit a paper to ERIC, and it is added to the database, can I still publish the paper elsewhere?
Yes. When you contribute your work to ERIC, you grant permission to index the material and disseminate it online. You do not transfer copyright to ERIC and may seek publication. We recommend that you consult with the editors of the journals you are considering if you have further questions.

8. What if I prepare multiple papers from the same study?
It is possible that an individual author may prepare and submit multiple papers addressing aspects of the same topic. In order for ERIC to consider them all as unique contributions, however, they must differ in major, substantive ways. Papers in which the content has been reorganized, but whole passages are repeated from previous works, or for which only the title has been slightly reworded, are not eligible for inclusion in ERIC.

9. Will the ERIC record indicate whether my paper has been reviewed by others?
No. ERIC does not indicate the peer-reviewed status of online submissions. Use of the term is confined to peer-reviewed journals and specific materials from the U.S. Department of Education. If you wish to acknowledge any reviewers or a reviewing organization, please do so within the body of your text, e.g., title page, preface, notes, etc.

10. May I make changes to my paper after submission or inclusion in the database?
No. Please be sure to check all files carefully before uploading them to ERIC so that your document and any supporting materials, e.g. slides, are the final, edited versions.

11. I receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education for my research. Must I submit my published work to ERIC?
Beginning in FY 2012, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) requires its grantees to submit their peer-reviewed research publications to ERIC. Investigators are to submit the electronic version of their final manuscripts upon acceptance for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The author's final manuscript is defined as the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all modifications from the peer review process. Posting for public accessibility through ERIC is strongly encouraged as soon as possible but must be within 12 months of the publisher's official date of final publication. For more information, see the IES Policy Regarding Public Access to Research.

12. Our organization produces materials (e.g., research reports) that are funded by the U.S. Department of Education. How should they be submitted to ERIC?
U.S. Department of Education grantees and contractors producing reports and related research published in fulfillment of work requirements should submit these materials to ERIC through our Online Submission System. Select the 'Yes' radio button in Step 3 of the submission form to indicate this status. Please also specify the funding source within the Department. This information may be used as an indexing aid and will not necessarily appear in the ERIC record.

13. Whom can I contact with questions?
Questions may be submitted to the ERIC Acquisitions Team at ericfeedback@csc.com. Your inquiry will be routed to a staff member for reply.