Preservation of research outputs in Apollo
Apollo, the University of Cambridge’s institutional repository, underpins the University’s commitment to preserve for the long-term and provide access as widely as possible to its research outputs to contribute to society as well as to academic advancement.
Apollo publication workflow
Depositing research outputs in Apollo
The How-to deposit guidance page outlines the steps depositors need to complete to deposit their content within Apollo. Further information is available through the Open Research and the Research data management websites.
The deposit route, workflow, and checklists depend on the type of material:
- Open access publications, doctoral theses, and research datasets are normally deposited through the University's Current Research Information System (CRIS, Symplectic Elements).
- Other scholarly outputs may be deposited through batch ingest workflows or by repository staff on behalf of depositors.
- Alternative deposit routes are available where access to Symplectic Elements is not possible. For more information, you can contact the Repository team.
Archival and management procedures in Apollo
Apollo's core activities include the preservation, curation, and dissemination of the University's research outputs, ensuring that content entrusted to the repository remains discoverable, understandable, usable, and reusable over time.
Repository activities support:
- Secure storage of digital content
- Reliability and usability of research outputs
- Quality and integrity of metadata and files
- Access and dissemination of research outputs
- Long-term preservation and stewardship
Once a research output is published in Apollo, a persistent Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is assigned to support citation, discovery, and long-term access.
Users can report issues or provide feedback through the Apollo support service. Feedback is reviewed by repository staff and used to improve metadata quality, repository services, and documentation. More information about the repository's quality assurance processes is provided in our Quality assurance page.
The Digital Preservation team works closely with the Open Research Systems and Open Research teams to ensure preservation services remain aligned with repository requirements and emerging best practice.
Digital Preservation Service
Following publication in Apollo, repository content is packaged as Archival Information Packages (AIPs) containing the digital objects together with associated metadata, provenance information, structural relationships, integrity information, and access controls.
These AIPs are transferred into Cambridge University Libraries and Archives' Digital Preservation Service for long-term management and preservation. The Digital Preservation Service provides preservation storage, integrity monitoring, preservation metadata management, and preservation planning activities that support the long-term accessibility, usability, and authenticity of repository content.
Preservation activities include:
- File format identification and monitoring
- Fixity and integrity verification
- Assessment of preservation risks
- Monitoring of file format sustainability
- Preservation metadata management
- Preservation planning and review
- Preservation actions where required to mitigate risks arising from technological change
These activities complement Apollo's repository services and support the University's commitment to the long-term stewardship of research outputs.
Access and dissemmination
The majority of content in Apollo is openly available. However, some content may be subject to access restrictions because of copyright, confidentiality, legal, ethical, commercial, or other considerations.
Several dissemination workflows are available within the repository to support different access requirements
For open access publications, access levels are determined through repository workflows and reviewed by specialist staff before publication.
Apollo users may request access to embargoed content through the Repository's Request a copy service. This service enables controlled sharing of eligible material while respecting copyright, licensing, and policy requirements.
Where access restrictions apply, repository metadata remains available wherever possible to support discovery and maintain the scholarly record.
Policy
Further information about Apollo's preservation and collection management activities is available through the following policies and documentation: