The publications server of RWTH Aachen University is for the publication, certification and long-term filing of the university's scientific documents. Thus, it is not only a means of propagation ("Open Access"), but also enable a substantial archiving and documentation of the RWTH's productivity ("Institutional Repository"). Members and staff of RWTH Aachen University are given the possibility to publish their papers, as long as no copyright or licensing regulations are violated.

The publications server offers authors worldwide availability of full texts and a durable archiving of their publications. Citability is guaranteed by a permanent and stable Internet address. Using structured meta data, documents are described bibliographically, indexed through national and international library catalogues, search engines and other means of verification, and thus made available.

The University Library is committed to the principles of Open Access. It explicitly supports the "Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities" from 22 October 2003.