MacSphere is McMaster University's free and secure institutional repository, which disseminates and preserves the scholarly record of the institution's faculty members, staff, and students (both graduate and undergraduate). MacSphere also serves as the repository of record for graduate theses, satisfying degree completion requirements.
All items deposited into MacSphere are made openly accessible--either immediately or after an embargo period.
| Boost Visibility and Enhance Discoverability | By submitting to MacSphere, authors benefit themselves and the research community by increasing the discoverability and accessibility of their work--whether directly through the MacSphere interface, or via indexing in search engines and international research aggregator services. |
| Ensure Longevity | MacSphere uses permanent identifiers—URLs that do not change—ensuring links to your submitted material always work. We also ensure that every file you upload does not degrade or change over time. |
| Meet Funding Requirements | If you receive funding from CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC, you can comply with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy by depositing your publication to MacSphere. |
| Keep your Copyright | Authors retain copyright of their work when they submit to MacSphere. |
MacSphere accepts submissions from members of the McMaster University community, including faculty, staff, and students. Works deposited into MacSphere are available to the public for discovery and download--either immediately or after an embargo period.
When you upload your work to MacSphere, you retain copyright over it and grant the Libraries a universal non-exclusive license to distribute and preserve it.
To start publicizing and preserving your research, follow the steps outlined in our getting started guide or contact us at macsphere@mcmaster.ca for assistance
MacSphere has full-text theses and dissertations. All graduate students at McMaster University are required to submit their theses or dissertations to MacSphere to complete their degree. If you are a graduate student looking to deposit your thesis, read the thesis and dissertation section of this guide.