About iReteslaw

iReteslaw, Online Repository of Texts in the Field of Slavic Studies, is owned and managed by the Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences (ISS PAS) with organizational support provided by The Slavic Foundation.

The repository is divided into two main communities: Slavic Studies Documents and Publications of the Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, each further organized into collections.

Both communities are overseen by the Publishing Department of the ISS PAS, headed by Mgr Olga Kowalczyk, comprising:

• Dr Marcin Fastyn
• Dr Dorota Leśniewska

The repository was implemented, customized, and is currently administered by Mgr Piotr Otręba.

Slavic Studies Documents community follows an open submission workflow, allowing all Internet users to submit content. To do so, users must create an account in the repository. Submissions are reviewed by the Publishing Department, which may request clarification or additional information from the submitter. Once approved, the submission is deposited in the repository.

In contrast, Publications of the Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences community does not accept public submissions. This community hosts official publications released by ISS PAS.

For both communities, all submissions will be tagged with terms from a controlled dictionary developed by ISS PAS to ensure consistent categorization and discoverability. The dictionary is a modification of the keyword language used in the iSybislaw information retrieval system. Polish language keywords have been supplemented with their English equivalents. The dictionary maps the field of Slavic studies heritage, and its entries reflect the legacy of Slavic academic communication.

Submissions must comply with the repository's guidelines, including total file size limits and format recommendations. The total size of all submitted files for a single submission must not exceed 2 GB. If the submission includes larger files, a cloud service may be used for sharing, though a placeholder file – such as a cover or sample of the target file – must still be attached through the repository form.

Suggested file formats:

• Text files: Submit in original formats, such as DOC, DOCX, ODT, TXT, PPT, PPTX, ODP, or PDF. Ensure that all fonts are embedded in the file, regardless of the format. This helps maintain the document's proper display and formatting when viewed or converted for long-term preservation, preventing issues with missing or substituted fonts.
• Images: TIFF format with no compression or lossless compression is preferred. Other formats, such as JPG, are acceptable if TIFF is unavailable.
• Audio and video files: Submit final versions intended for public use or archiving, uncompressed or with minimal compression to preserve quality. For video, preferred formats include MOV, MKV, AVI, or MP4 with minimal compression; avoid heavily compressed formats (e.g., low-bitrate MP4 or WebM) unless necessary. For audio, submit in WAV, AIFF, or FLAC for lossless quality. If uncompressed formats are unavailable, provide the highest quality available (e.g., MP3 at 320 kbps).

Before public release, files may be converted for long-term preservation or streaming purposes.

• Textual materials: Converted to PDF/A (PDF/A-2u where the source permits, PDF/A-2b as the floor) for preservation and shared in this format. Color is managed by embedding sRGB IEC61966-2.1 as the output intent, to which device color is normalized during conversion.
• Images:
  • TIFF for preservation, retaining the original resolution and color space.
  • JPG for sharing, converted to the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 color space and resized to a maximum width or height of 2560 px if larger.
• Audio:
  • Matroska audio (MKA), using the FLAC codec for preservation.
  • WebM audio (WEBM), using the Opus codec for sharing.
• Video:
  • Matroska video (MKV), using the FFV1 codec for video and the FLAC codec for audio. The original resolution and color space will be retained.
  • WebM video (WEBM) for sharing, using the VP9 codec for video and the Opus codec for audio. Video color is normalized to BT.709, converting only where the source differs, and the frame is resized to a maximum width or height of 1920 px if larger, while smaller videos keep their original resolution.

Original submitted versions will be retained as secure recovery copies but will not be publicly visible. The same applies to preservation copies if a dedicated format is available for sharing.

To ensure the integrity of all files, checksum verification will be used. This process confirms that files remain unchanged after upload and throughout their lifecycle in the repository. If any discrepancies are detected, the repository staff will take corrective action.

All documents deposited in the repository will be distributed in open access, meaning they are freely available to the public. They will be shared under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. This allows others to copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and create derivative works, including for commercial purposes, as long as proper attribution is given, a link to the license is provided, and any modifications are clearly noted.

Submitters are responsible for ensuring that all materials uploaded are either original works or that they have obtained the necessary permissions for any copyrighted content included (e.g., graphics). Any submissions found to contain plagiarized content or unauthorized copyrighted material may be removed by the repository staff.

In addition to storing files in the repository, backup copies are maintained outside of the system to ensure long-term security and preservation.

If multiple versions of a document are submitted, all versions will be archived and made publicly available. The most recent version will be clearly marked as the latest, while previous versions will remain accessible for reference. Each version will be labeled with relevant metadata, including submission date and version number, to ensure transparency and traceability of changes.

Requests for the withdrawal of deposited documents will be reviewed by the repository staff. Documents may be withdrawn for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:

• At the request of the author(s) or copyright holder(s);
• Discovery of errors or inaccuracies in the content;
• Violation of the repository's submission guidelines, including plagiarism or the inclusion of copyrighted material without proper permissions;
• Legal issues or breaches of intellectual property rights.

If a document is found to violate these policies, it may be removed at the discretion of the repository staff. Withdrawn documents will remain in the repository for record-keeping purposes but will be marked as “withdrawn” and hidden from public view. A public statement may be provided to explain the reason for withdrawal when applicable.