The University Libraries' vision for Cardinal Scholar is the creation of a central environment for all relevant scholarly work produced at Ball State University. Researchers and authors will maintain control of their work while making it as accessible as possible, and readers will have every opportunity to make use of the wealth of scholarly resources produced by the community—ideally resulting in further progress, creation, and contribution.
While peer-reviewed content makes up an important pillar of the repository's collections, Cardinal Scholar is a place for any quality scholarship produced at Ball State University. We are committed to storing, preserving, and disseminating a wide variety of information types and formats, from faculty, students, and staff. Whether you're a faculty or staff member trying to make your publications more visible, or a student hoping to build a portfolio with the best products of your coursework, Cardinal Scholar is the place to ensure open access to your materials.
The collection will develop dynamically through interaction with the Ball State University scholarly community. Content will be added independently by authors and promoted by the institution. Even unconventional materials can find a home, through collaboration with digital scholarship librarians.
Access to Cardinal Scholar will not be restricted by any paywalls or institutional barriers. Our commitment to open access ensures that all information is publicly available, in the interest of scholarship and progress. The works produced at Ball State University will be freely available to serve as background, building blocks, and revelations for anyone pursuing knowledge, regardless of their affiliations and memberships.
As scholarship and publishing evolve, Cardinal Scholar seeks to demonstrate Ball State University's leadership in service, teaching, and research. We aim to be a home not only for scholarly articles, but for your presentations, videos, code, and datasets.
Of course, you can find support in the University Libraries at any point during the creation of your scholarship! But when your hard work is completed and your material needs a home, consider Cardinal Scholar.