UWTSD Repository Takedown Policy

All materials deposited within the UWTSD Repository are made available in accordance with publisher policies (as detailed in SHERPA RoMEO) and/or with permission from rights holders.

Material is not intended for removal except in keeping with internal policy or upon receipt of a valid and proven complaint.

Acceptable reasons for complaint may include the following:

• A breach of publishers’ rules and regulations (for example, an embargo breach, or a final publisher version being made available when only a pre- or post print is allowed)
• A violation of intellectual property rights (including moral rights or copyright)
• A legislative breach (for example, data protection or defamation)
• Matters of National Security
• Falsified research, plagiarism or failure to follow ethical guidelines

Complaints must be in written form specifying that you are the rights holder or an authorised representative of the rights holder, and specifying reasons why the material should not be available in the UWTSD Repository. Complaints should be emailed to: openaccess@uwtsd.ac.uk.

Full-text material which has been requested for removal will be restricted to Repository Staff only (within 8 working days of the request being received), and while the complaint is being investigated, the relevant metadata will remain searchable. For items where internal process is dictating the removal of material, the metadata will also be removed from public view.

The complaint will be escalated by the Repository staff to a member of the Library Management Team in the first instance.

In cases where it is unclear whether a complaint is ultimately justified, the final decision will rest with the University.

This policy has been adapted from an original with permission of University of West London.