Frequently Asked Questions

What is a resource?

A resource is defined as a digital representation of a single physical piece in a research collection. A resource can be any media format that a researcher is working with. Resources can have several types like Photographs, Notebook Pages, Inventory cards, Maps, Reports, etc. You can learn more about Resources.

What is the difference between a resource and a collection?

A resource is a single digital data file whereas a collection is a group of resources like photographs and documents that are somehow related and call for further study. A resource can be part of any number of collections.

How do I make a collection?

A collection is a group of resources meant to be studied together. You can create a collection by navigating through the Search tab. You can then select a group of resources by dragging over them, and clicking Collection > Create a New Collection. You will then be prompted to provide a Title and a brief Description about the collection. You can learn more in the Collections section.

What is a bookmark?

A bookmark is a special collection of resources that you might want to revisit later, but don’t necessarily know if it is relevant for a specific research collection.

How do I make a bookmark?

A bookmark can be created on the Search page. You can select the resources which you would want to view later and then click on Collection > Add to bookmarks on the search page. You can view the Collections section for more information.

What is the difference between a bookmark and a collection?

A collection is a set of resources which are associated to a particular area of research. A bookmark could be any resource which does not necessarily belong to a specific area of research. Bookmarks can be a set of resources which you would want to remember and use it in some form in the future.

What happens when I flag something?

When you flag a resource, it opens an issue that requires the Senior Researchers’ or the administrator’s attention. They will then review the flag by either making the necessary change in the resource or by dismissing the flag. In either case, they leave a comment with an explanation for the user.

How do I add an annotation?

A resource can be annotated on the Viewer page. You can add an annotation by click+dragging over a particular section of any resource. You will then be prompted to add a description for your annotation. You can also link your new annotation to any other resource which according to you can be associated with that particular annotation. You can check the Annotations section for more details.

Can I edit other people’s annotations?

No. You can only annotate your own resources or flag someone else’s annotation.

Why can’t I just edit annotations?

To avoid erratic changes in the data for resources, only Senior Researchers and Admins can change Keywords or Annotations. This ensures that the standard of academic validity of your research data is maintained. If you think something should be changed, and are not a Senior Researcher, feel free to flag the resource. Learn more about Flagging Resources .

What is keywording?

Keywords are a very useful way to tag related resources and quickly tell a user about the resources. Keywords make it easier for users to search for a resource.

Keywords are used in searching to make data-mining resources easier. Therefore it is essential that keywords are used consistently so that researchers can pull all relevant resources with one query.

How do I use the search bar?

Searching works based on a concept called facets. Facets are essentially specific points of data that you can filter in ARCS. For example, you can filter ARCS resources based on their type. So you would search for type: Notebook. You can view the table of facets you can use to filter ARCS resources under the Search section.

What is the difference between a Researcher and Senior Researcher?

As a Researcher, you can view all resources in the system, and annotate and add keywords to resources. You cannot, however, edit or delete annotations of keywords. You cannot edit or delete resources or resource attributes. If you believe an annotation, keyword, resource, or resource attribute needs to be deleted or edited, you must flag the resource and give a detailed explanation as to what exactly you believe is wrong.

As a Senior Researcher, you have the same privileges of a Researcher, but you have the added privilege of reviewing flags, and editing annotations, keywords, resources and resource attributes.

How do I delete my account?

Because your contributions in ARCS are so important to the success of the platform, you can't delete your own account. If you no longer wish to be part of the particular ARCS iteration you're participating in, please request to deactivate your account with an administrator. Your account will not be deleted, but rather deactivated. This is to ensure that the contributions you made to the research project are not lost with your account.