For further help with getting started on a Manifold Project or setting up your account, contact NYU Libraries. If you have individual technical questions that you can’t find the answer to in the LibGuides, feel free to reach out and we’ll see how we can help.
Q. What sort of help can I get from NYU Libraries when using NYU Manifold?
NYU Libraries periodically offers workshops for getting started with Manifold. We offer small group and 1:1 project consultations to help you design your creative scholarship projects and determine if Manifold might be a good fit for you. Faculty may also request a training session for their class if incorporating Manifold into a core course requirement or assignment. Our introductory and resource-based Guides help get users started and point you towards the best available resources for guided tutorials and help. NYU Libraries does not, however, create Projects on a user’s behalf.
Q. Where can I learn more about Manifold in technical detail?
For detailed how-tos on a variety of topics, we highly recommend the following: Manifold Quick Guides and Manifold’s detailed Documentation
Q. Is Manifold right for my project?
This is a great question! We recommend following the steps found in the section “Is Manifold the right tool for my project?” to better assess Manifold’s compatibility with your project’s needs. If you’re still not sure, please use this appointment request form to schedule a small group or individual consultation.
Manifold has the flexibility and capacity for NYU community members to experiment with Projects for free, so even if you start and abandon a Project, or decide to return to it later, you can test out your ideas on NYU Manifold at no personal cost.
Q. Are there examples of how to use Manifold for teaching a class?
Yes, instructors at CUNY have developed materials for other instructors to learn how Manifold can be used as a pedagogical tool and an accessible repository for course materials. These can be found in the CUNY Teaching Models Guide.
Q. Can you turn off annotations?
There is currently no way to turn off all annotations on a Project. However, creators can turn off public annotations so that each user’s comments can only appear to themself or within the reading groups where they have permission to join. For instructions on how to toggle this function, see this documentation.
Q. Can you annotate video?
You can leave comments on any Resource but you cannot at this point annotate audio and video (as you can on other platforms like Scalar).
Q. Can you download any Resource type?
All added Resources (added manually or in bulk to a Project) may be downloaded if the Project’s Author allows. If an Author wishes to provide a download of any file (an offline copy of the Text, for instance), they can add a button on the home page (see “Calls to action” in the NYU Manifold Tips & Resources LibGuide). Video and Audio files can be viewed within Manifold. Other Resource types will appear as downloads.
Q. Can Resources be added directly, or must they be embedded?
Resources can be added to a Project separate from Texts. Any Resource that has been added to a Project may be anchored in the Project's Text by anyone with the necessary permissions (Project Creators and Editors). Google and Word doc images will render inline in Manifold. For inline interactive Resources, you need to create the Text using Markdown, EPUB, or HTML.
Q. Can you reingest parts or do you have to reingest the whole?
To make changes on a Text, you can use the Manifold Editor, reingest the Text as a whole, or reingest the Text in sections. If you have created a Project with multiple Texts, you can reingest individual Texts without having to reingest the rest. If you wish to change a chapter of a Text ingested with a manifest, you can simply reingest that section or use the Manifold Editor. For more on this, see “Adding Content” in the NYU Manifold Tips & Resources LibGuide.
Q. Could a reader comment on a Resource with a link, therefore sort of adding a Resource?
A reader can add a link in an annotation viewable to others (if public annotations are allowed). This is a great way for students to link to other Resources without needing Project Creator permissions. Control of the Project Resources remains with the authors of the Project.
Q. What are the types of Resources?
The ten Resource types (image, video, audio, file, link, PDF, document, spreadsheet, presentation, interactive) each have different specifications (see “Resources and Resource Collections” in the NYU Manifold Tips & Resources LibGuide). Images and videos are viewable within the Manifold interface, whereas some other Resource types are made available as downloads.
Q. Can you link to content outside of Manifold?
The link Resource type provides a page with metadata about an external Resource. The Resource page allows readers to comment on relevant Resources within Manifold, even if they are exiting Manifold to view those Resources.
Q. How do you embed a Resource in the Text itself? How do you create a hyperlink that takes you to this Resource?
To place Resources, users with necessary permissions (see "Editing and Administering a Project" in our NYU Manifold Tips & Resources LibGuide) highlight Text within the reader and then select “Resource” from the dropdown menu. Once a Resource is “placed” or “anchored”, Manifold will display an icon within the Text and thumbnail in the margin. These are linked to the Resource page. For embedding inline images or other Resources, you need to follow the requirements of the type of file you are ingesting. To see what file types support which Resources, visit the documentation on Texts. To embed materials within a Text as “assets,” you can ingest the Text with those assets added in-line or embed them using HTML and iFrames.
Q. How does Manifold handle copyrighted material?
Manifold holds whatever metadata (including license) you supply. One Best Practice for scholarly writing and publishing is to provide annotation and licensing information for any Resources in your Projects. If you wish to present material that is still in copyright, you may need to request permissions from the authors (or authors' estates).
Q. Will Manifold add an ISBN or DOI?
Manifold does not create ISBNs, but you can add one if you have other means of acquiring them.
Q. Can I use copyrighted sources on Manifold for teaching purposes? Or is it reserved only for public domain books?
Manifold has no mechanism for checking or enforcing copyright law; it depends on users to determine how copyright and/or fair use applies to their project. If you have questions and want to learn more about copyright or fair use, please consult NYU’s Copyright Guide. For questions not answered in the Guide, you may contact open.access@nyu.edu.
Q. Are comments moderated?
Whatever a reader adds to the Text (annotation on Text or comment on an annotation or Resource) belongs to them. Teachers are encouraged to use private Reading Groups to manage student annotations. You still cannot delete students’ comments (unless you delete your whole Project, in which case everything goes). Inappropriate comments may be flagged.
Q. What happens when an account holder leaves NYU?
All Projects created on NYU Manifold become part of NYU’s collection; users grant NYU a perpetual license to display any published (non-draft) Projects. Project Creators retain the copyright for their work according to the license (e.g. Creative Commons) they have indicated for their work.
Upon departure from NYU, the account holder may retain their Manifold Reader account but will no longer have Project Creator permissions. NYU Libraries continues to host Projects created by the departed user within the NYU institutional account space but editing privileges for the departing account holder will be lost.
NYU Project Creators may export copies of their files if the scholar becomes ineligible for Project Creator status and no new NYU Project Creator has been identified. Unpublished content will be subject to deletion based on space needed, but, per our Terms of Use, NYU Libraries will generally not remove published content from NYU Manifold. Requests to remove published content for extenuating circumstances will be reviewed on a case by case basis. NYU Manifold is not responsible for migrating or exporting Projects on behalf of Project Creators.
Because Reader accounts are not dependent on active NYU status, students and faculty will be able to keep Reader access to Projects even if they lose Project Creator eligibility when they leave NYU.
Q. Can a new NYU Manifold user with a previous private Manifold account move their previously created links over to their new NYU Manifold account?
Different instances of Manifold stand alone. If a user has an account on another institution’s instance, that account will remain separate.
Q. Can a Project be associated with multiple creators?
Yes. Users can work together on Projects by granting other permitted users Access through the Backend.