Frequently asked questions
Have a question that isn’t answered here? Email us at MITstory-covid19@mit.edu.
Should I send all my material at one time or can I submit over the course of the year?
Although we can accept material from you multiple times, we appreciate it if you can bundle your submissions rather than sending one item at a time.
If I interview someone or they interview me, do I need to get their permission to include that information in my contribution to the project?
Yes. If you are contributing material that was co-created by you and other people, or if you interviewed or were interviewed by someone, then we need to get approval from these people also before we accept the material. If this applies to your contribution, contact us and we will send you a second submission agreement for them to complete.
Does my contribution need to be in a specific file format?
No. You can contribute material in any common file format – if you think there might be a concern, please contact us.
Can I contribute something that I did as part of a course at MIT?
Yes. We have included in the Submission Agreement a section with a FERPA waiver where you can allow us to keep and make publicly accessible your student work, that is otherwise legally protected by the FERPA legislation.
Should I submit copies of what my department or unit is doing directly related to changes in our business practices?
This material might fall under the definition of records of the Institute and we want to collect these according to our established collections and records management practices. If you have this kind of material, please email our Records Management Program at rmprogram@mit.edu about our services for this type of transfer.
What if I don’t want my contribution to become publicly accessible now?
If you would prefer to have your materials restricted for a period of time, please contact us. We hope to create a broadly open and accessible collection but are happy to work with you.
Can I contribute or submit URLs or PDFs of webpages or social media posts?
As part of this project, we are web archiving pages specific to MIT’s response to the pandemic. This includes website updates, press releases, and blogs from MIT that communicate vital information about the functioning of the Institute; and information about research and innovation by MIT’s community.
If you have created web pages, online projects, or social media posts and you want to contribute them, you can create PDF’s and then contribute them – include the URL or other locator for others to go to the live versions.
What topics could a submission include?
The topics you include could be related to social distancing and self-quarantine; the switch to remote learning or remote work; quickly moving off-campus; the cancellation of graduation and end-of-the year events; the impacts the emergency has had on your projects or research including new research or projects you have started that are specifically related to the coronavirus; or how you are connecting with your MIT community. You might include reflections on the change in your interpersonal networks, opportunities to gamify connections and learning, and how the changes at MIT are impacting your personal or professional selves.
Is there anything we should avoid writing about?
Please do not submit materials that contain any personal health information about yourself or others. It is important that you do not submit any information that could allow a third party to identify other people. This might include members of your family, neighbors, etc. This information is legally protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Please contact us with any questions.