Submit Your Research

Faculty and staff can use this form to submit work to PDXScholar:

PDXScholar only accepts article submissions (PDF or .docx files) via our Submit Your Work form. Please contact us directly at [email protected] to request depositing a different type of work (examples: audio, video, data file, presentation slides).

If you have questions about the submission process, please reach out to us: [email protected].

Digital Accessibility Requirements for PDXScholar Article Submissions

All works submitted to PDXScholar must meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards according to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Using Microsoft Word’s built-in accessibility checker is recommended. To help make their document accessible, PSU employees also may request free access to Foxit PDF Editor by submitting a Software Install request through the Office of Information Technology (OIT).

Note: Library staff may send a document back to the author for remediation and resubmission as needed.

Accessibility Requirements

Heading structure: All section and subsection headings must use proper heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) in a logical order (do not jump from Heading 1 to Heading 3).

Resources: Use Styles to Create Headings in Microsoft Word; WebAIM Headings

Alt text: Every non-text element (image, figure) must have a text alternative like alt text, a descriptive caption, be described in the surrounding body text, or a combination of these.

Resources: Create Accessible Images and Other Objects in Microsoft Word; Web Accessibility Initiative Images Tutorials; and WebAIM Alt Text

Accessible tables: Data tables must have designated header rows. Merged cells should be avoided. Tables should only be used for data, not for formatting or style. If the content is not tabular data, consider using a list.

Resources: Creating Accessible Tables in Microsoft Word

Color contrast: Text must have a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 against its background. We recommend using WebAIM’s Contrast Checker to check contrast ratios.

Resources: Create the Required Color Contrast

Color usage: Color should not be the only means for conveying information; use patterns or labels in figures and underline links.

Resources: Use of Color (Level A) and Use Color and Other Sensory Characteristics Plus Text to Convey Meaning

Reading order: Ensure that content has logical reading order by using a PDF Editor tool (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Pro, Foxit, etc.). Content that does not have proper reading order may disorient users of assistive technology.

Resources: PDF Accessibility in Foxit PDF Editor and PDF Accessibility in Adobe Acrobat Pro

Accessibility Resources

PSU OAI’s How to Make Accessible Word and Google Documents Guide
PSU OIT’s Digital Accessibility Training Options
U.S. General Services Administration’s Make an Accessible Document in Microsoft Word Videos
WebAIM’s Microsoft Word: Creating Accessible Documents
WebAIM’s PDF Accessibility: Converting Documents to PDF

Submit Student Work

Collection-specific Submission Forms for Students

SIGN UP FOR AN ACCOUNT TO SUBMIT YOUR TERMINAL WORK.

Please Note: Graduate-level dissertations and theses are automatically archived.

Nominate Student Work or Give Consent to Share Your Work

Nominate Student Research (Faculty only)
Students can ask their faculty advisor to submit work that was created for a class project!
Student Research Consent Form
PDXScholar Consent Form