FAQ List
- I am having trouble using this website. What should I do?
- I would like to contribute multiple stories, images, or other files to Catawba River Docs. Do I have to upload them one by one?
- If I want to contribute an email, will my email address or the names and email addresses of the recipients be viewable online?
- Are there any special guidelines for uploading images?
- What are tags? How do I use them?
- Do I have to make my contribution available to the public?
- Are all the stories, images, and other files in Catawba River Docs available to the public?
- I recently contributed a story, image or other file to Catawba River Docs. Why doesn’t it appear on the website?
- When I submit materials to Catawba River Docs, do I retain the copyright?
- How do I get permission to use materials from Catawba River Docs?
- How do I cite materials on the Catawba River Docs website?
- How do I know that the contents of Catawba River Docs are authentic and factually accurate?
- How can I help the Catawba River Docs project?
I am having trouble using this website. What should I do?
If you experience problems using the contribution form on this website please consider upgrading to the latest web browser.
This website is best viewed at 1024 x 768 or higher screen resolution using Mozilla Firefox 1.0+ or Internet Explorer 6.0+ web browsers. This website works best with JavaScript enabled.
I would like to contribute multiple stories, images, or other files to Catawba River Docs. Do I have to upload them one by one?
If you are only submitting a few items, we ask that you upload them one by one through our online interface. Just click on “Share” to access the contribution form. You will only be asked to complete the background questions one time. If, however, you would like to submit more than 20 objects, you may email us to make special arrangements for your contribution.
If I want to contribute an email, will my email address or the names and email addresses of the recipients be viewable online?
No. We will remove all email addresses. We also suppress the names of the recipients of the email unless we have their permission to publish them. Phone numbers and addresses in the signature of the email are removed.
Are there any special guidelines for uploading images?
Images and other files larger than 5MB may not be uploaded through the website interface. However, if you would like to contribute files larger than 5MB, please contact us to make special arrangements.
What are tags? How do I use them?
Tagging is a new, freeform way to categorize items which is being used on a growing number of websites. A tag can refer to a general category or description, such as "River" or "winter", or to a concept, like "beautiful" or "community," or it can be more personal, "John Doe." An item can be tagged with as many, or as few tags as seems useful to you. A tag on this site can contain more than one word. Multiple tags are separated by commas.
The large collection of tags that you see on our home page, or the "browse by tags" page, is called a "tag cloud." Inside the "tag cloud," tags are displayed larger and bolder when they are used more often. Thus, you can quickly see what tags other people are using, what items they are categorizing, and which tags are most popular. Clicking on separate tag links will show you other items that share a given tag.
If you feel that someone else's tag is inappropriate, you may email us.
Do I have to make my contribution available to the public?
No. When you submit a story, image or other file to Catawba River Docs, we will ask you to consent to a release and to indicate whether or not you want your contribution made public. If you choose to keep it private, it will be held in the Catawba River Docs virtual archive, but not made available to the public on the website. If at any time you change your mind and want a public submission made private, or vice versa, you can email us.
Are all the stories, images, and other files in Catawba River Docs available to the public?
No. If the contributor indicates that s/he wants to restrict access, the object is held in the Catawba River Docs archive, but it is not available to the public on the website.
I recently contributed a story, image or other file to Catawba River Docs. Why doesn’t it appear on the website?
Each contribution submitted to Catawba River Docs is evaluated and processed by CHM staff. Thus, it may take some time between when you submitted your contribution and when it appears on the website.
Moreover, sometimes CHM staff determines—or you indicate on the consent form—that you lack the necessary ownership rights to an object to release it. In such cases, CHM may contact you, and/or the copyright holder, for further information.
When I submit materials to Catawba River Docs, do I retain the copyright?
Yes. Contributors retain any copyright they may have in the materials they submit to Catawba River Docs. CHM owns the copyright to the Catawba River Docs website as a whole.
How do I get permission to use materials from Catawba River Docs?
Objects that are publicly available on the Catawba River Docs website may be downloaded, printed or used for non-commercial, educational purposes with proper attribution as stipulated in the Terms of Use section.
If you wish to request permission to reproduce, redistribute or use Catawba River Docs materials for any other purposes, please email us.
How do I cite materials on the Catawba River Docs website?
Please use the following format to cite materials on the Catawba River Docs website: Author. Title, <URL>, in “Catawba River Docs Online Collection (month day, year). [Note that "month day, year" should reflect the day on which the site was viewed: today.]
For example: Doe, John “Title of Information,” <http://www.catawbariverdocs.com>, in “Catawba River Docs Online Collection (January 03, 2008).
How do I know that the contents of Catawba River Docs are authentic and factually accurate?
Most people who make the effort to submit an object to Catawba River Docs share the goal of its organizers—that is, to create a reliable and permanent record about the Catawba River.
That said, CHM cannot vouch for the factual accuracy of any individual contribution. We do know, however, that every submission to Catawba River Docs—even those that prove to be erroneous, misleading, or dubious—can contribute in some way to the historical record. A misleading individual account, for example, could reveal certain personal and emotional aspects of the event that would otherwise be lost in a strict authentication and appraisal process.
Nevertheless, as with any historical sources (including, for example, newspaper accounts), there are always questions about reliability, and all researchers need to evaluate their sources critically. It is for this reason that Catawba River Docs requests information from every contributor—including name, email address, location, zip code, gender, age, occupation, and date received. As part of its evaluation process for each submission, CHM verifies that the contributor exists at the email s/he lists. We also urge researchers to examine the metadata in relation to one another, in relation to the content of the submission, and in relation to other authenticated records. Sound research technique is the basis of sound scholarship. Researchers with particular concerns should email us for more information.
How can I help the Catawba River Docs project?
First and foremost, by submitting your stories, images, and other files through the website and telling your friends and family about Catawba River Docs. You can also help by making a gift of your financial support. This project is made possible only through the generosity of individuals and foundations, and your donation would be gratefully received. If you have any questions about making a contribution of materials or financial support, please email us.
