Stanford Digital Repository services
Stanford Digital Repository Services

Versioning

SDR supports the open scholarship goals of transparency and reproducibility by making previous versions of works available from our PURL pages. Find out more below.

Public access to multiple versions of works

As of August 2024, SDR allows for the creation of multiple publicly-visible versions of a work. The SDR has always preserved the history of all changes made to an item, and will continue to do so. But prior to August 2024, only the most recent version of a work was available to the public via our PURL pages. The new functionality allows for depositors to create and provide access to multiple versions of their work in order to support transparency into the research process. The new functionality also makes it possible for PURL users to better understand the version history of a work, access those previous versions, and cite them appropriately.

Versioning for PURL users

  • Persistent URL (PURL) pages for items in the SDR provide access to the current version of a work as well as any previous public versions of a work that may exist. 
  • Information about public versions of works is displayed below the embedded viewer on the right side in a section labeled "Versions." 
  • The version you are viewing is noted, and the "View" links take you to previous versions. 
  • Content displayed in the embedded viewer always corresponds to the version you are currently viewing. 
  • When viewing an older version of a work, you'll see a banner across the top of the page alerting you that you are not on the latest version and a link that will take you directly to that latest version.
Screenshot showing the versioning section of the PURL page. Two versions are listed, with a link to access the older version.

Versioning for Depositors

  • A new public version can only be created when a user modifies a work that has already been deposited.
  • A new public version will be created when files have been added, removed, hidden, or unhidden.
  • Public versions always increment in whole numbers, so if your current version is "Version 1," your new version will be "Version 2."
  • A new public version will not be created if none of the file changes described above were made.
  • When a new public version is created, the PURL page for your item will list a new version for your work and provide a way for PURL users to view and access all public versions. See the information in the section above for PURL users.
  • If a new public version is not created, the PURL page for your item will continue to show only the existing version of your work, updating to reflect your recent changes.
  • If your work has a DOI, that DOI will remain the same for all versions of your work.
Screenshot of deposit tab in form showing message indicating that a new public version will be created if the files have been changed, but the DOI will stay the same.