Evidence and Context Documents

A publication tells a story, but the full picture often includes materials beyond the manuscript itself -- datasets, supplementary figures, code repositories, and contextual documents that explain why the work matters. AcaTrove lets you attach these supporting materials directly to publication records so everything related to a piece of research is accessible in one place.

Types of Supporting Materials

You can attach several types of documents to a publication:

Evidence documents -- Materials that substantiate the findings reported in the publication. These include:

• Raw or processed datasets.
• Supplementary figures, tables, and appendices.
• Statistical analysis scripts or code.
• Experimental protocols and methods documentation.

Context documents -- Materials that provide background or explain the significance of the publication. These include:

• Press releases or lay summaries.
• Presentation slides from conference talks.
• Grant proposals that funded the research.
• Reviews and editorial correspondence.
• Related blog posts or commentary.

Attaching Documents to a Publication

To attach supporting materials:

1. Navigate to /publications and open the publication record.
2. Scroll to the Supporting Materials section.
3. Click Add Document.
4. Choose the document type (evidence or context).
5. Upload the file or provide a URL for externally hosted materials (e.g., a link to a GitHub repository or a data archive DOI).
6. Add a title and brief description explaining what the document contains and how it relates to the publication.
7. Click Save.

You can attach multiple documents to a single publication. Each attachment is listed with its title, type, date added, and file size.

Organizing Attachments

As attachments accumulate, use these tools to keep them organized:

• Labels -- Tag each attachment with descriptive labels (e.g., "raw data," "supplementary figure," "review comments") to make them easier to find.
• Ordering -- Drag attachments to reorder them. Place the most important or frequently accessed materials at the top.
• Descriptions -- Write concise descriptions for each attachment. When a colleague or committee reviews your publication record, clear descriptions help them find what they need quickly.

Using Evidence in Other Features

Attached evidence and context documents integrate with other AcaTrove features:

• Paper Chat -- When you use Paper Chat on a publication with attached evidence, the AI can reference supplementary materials in its responses if they contain searchable text.
• Application Packets -- Supporting materials can be included in application packets built through the Professional Assistant, which is useful when a position requires evidence of research productivity or impact.
• Project Context -- When a publication is associated with a project, its supporting materials are visible to all project members.

External Links

Not all supporting materials are files. For datasets hosted on Zenodo, code on GitHub, or data on institutional repositories, use the URL attachment option. AcaTrove stores the link and displays it alongside file-based attachments.

Tips

• Attach supplementary materials at the time of upload. It is easier to add context while the publication is fresh in your mind than to reconstruct it months later.
• Include a brief description for every attachment. "Supplementary Table 1" is less useful than "Supplementary Table 1: Patient demographics and baseline characteristics."
• When preparing for promotion or tenure review, evidence documents attached to publications demonstrate the depth and rigor of your research without requiring reviewers to hunt for materials across multiple platforms.
• Keep file sizes reasonable. Large datasets are better hosted on dedicated platforms (Zenodo, Dryad, Figshare) and linked via URL.