Heratio Help Center article. Category: Research.

Researcher Portal - User Guide

Overview

The Researcher Portal provides tools for researchers to interact with archival materials, including booking reading room visits, creating research collections, adding annotations, and generating citations.

Getting Started

Registration

1. Click "Register" on the homepage or navigate to the researcher registration page
2. Fill in your details:
   • Full name
   • Email address
   • Institution/Affiliation
   • Research purpose
   • Password
3. Submit registration
4. Wait for administrator approval (you'll receive an email)
5. Once approved, log in with your credentials

Accessing the Researcher Dashboard

After logging in, click on "My Workspace" or navigate to your researcher dashboard to access all features.

Features

1. 📚 Research Collections

Create personal collections to organize materials for your research projects.

To add items to a collection:

1. Browse or search for archival materials
2. Click "Add to Collection" button on the record
3. Select existing collection or create new one
4. Item is saved to your collection

To manage collections:

• View all items in a collection
• Remove items
• Rename or delete collections
• Share collections (if enabled)

2. 📅 Reading Room Bookings

Book visits to the reading room to view physical materials.

Booking Process:

1. Navigate to "Book a Visit"
2. Select your preferred date and time
3. Choose the reading room
4. Add the materials you wish to view
5. Describe your research purpose
6. Submit the booking request
7. Wait for confirmation email

Booking Status:

3. 📝 Annotations

Add personal notes and annotations to archival materials.

To add an annotation:

1. View an archival record
2. Click "Add Annotation"
3. Enter your note
4. Optionally specify page/section reference
5. Save

Note: Annotations are private by default. Only you can see them unless you choose to share.

4. 📖 Citations

Generate properly formatted citations for archival materials.

Supported Citation Styles:

• Chicago Manual of Style (Notes & Bibliography)
• Chicago Manual of Style (Author-Date)
• MLA (Modern Language Association)
• APA (American Psychological Association)
• Harvard

To generate a citation:

1. View an archival record
2. Click "Cite this Record"
3. Select your preferred citation style
4. Copy the formatted citation

Example Output:

Chicago (Notes):
The Archive and Heritage Digital Commons Group, "Letter from Heinrich Mueller 
to Mining Commissioner," 15 March 1952, Mueller Collection, 
Box 1, Folder 3, Item 12.

APA:
The Archive and Heritage Digital Commons Group. (1952). Letter from Heinrich 
Mueller to Mining Commissioner (Box 1, Folder 3, Item 12). 
Mueller Collection.

5. 📋 Finding Aid Generator

Create formatted finding aids for your research.

1. Select materials or a collection
2. Choose output format (PDF, Word, HTML)
3. Customize included fields
4. Generate and download

Researcher Dashboard

Your central hub for all research activities:

Profile Management

Update Your Profile

1. Click on your name or "My Profile"
2. Update your information:
   • Contact details
   • Institution
   • Research interests
   • Notification preferences
3. Save changes

Change Password

1. Go to "My Profile"
2. Click "Change Password"
3. Enter current password
4. Enter new password (twice)
5. Save

Account Renewal

Research accounts may require periodic renewal:

1. You'll receive a notification before expiry
2. Go to "Renew Account"
3. Confirm your details are current
4. Submit renewal request
5. Wait for administrator approval

Workflow: Typical Research Visit

Quick Reference

Staff Operations (Admin)

Tips for Researchers

1. Plan ahead - Book reading room visits at least 48 hours in advance
2. Be specific - When booking, list exact box/folder numbers if known
3. Use collections - Organize materials by project or topic
4. Add notes - Annotations help you remember why items are important
5. Check notifications - Important updates about your bookings and account

Access Restrictions

Some materials may have access restrictions:

If you need access to restricted materials, contact the archive staff with your research justification.

Reading Room Operations (Staff)

The following features are available to staff administrators for managing reading room operations.

6. 🪑 Seat Management

Manage reading room seats and track occupancy in real-time.

Seat Types:

Features:

• Bulk Create: Generate multiple seats using patterns (e.g., A1-A10, 1-20)
• Amenities Tracking: Power outlets, lamps, computers, magnifiers
• Zone Assignment: Organize seats by room zones
• Real-time Occupancy: Dashboard showing current availability

To assign a seat:

1. Navigate to Research → Seats
2. Select the reading room
3. Click Assign on an available seat
4. Select the researcher from current bookings
5. Confirm assignment

7. 🔧 Equipment Management

Track and manage reading room equipment including microfilm readers, scanners, and computers.

Equipment Types:

• Microfilm Reader
• Microfiche Reader
• Scanner
• Computer
• Magnifier
• Book Cradle
• Light Box
• Camera Stand
• Cotton Gloves
• Page Weights

Condition Tracking:

Maintenance Logging:

1. Click the wrench icon on any equipment
2. Describe the maintenance performed
3. Update condition status
4. Set next maintenance date
5. Log entry is saved with timestamp

8. 📦 Retrieval Queue

Manage material retrieval workflow with queue-based processing.

Queue Stages:

Batch Processing:

1. Select multiple requests using checkboxes
2. Choose new status from dropdown
3. Add optional notes
4. Click Update Selected
5. All selected items move to new queue

9. 🖨️ Call Slips (Paging Slips)

Generate and print call slips for material retrieval.

Printing Call Slips:

1. Go to Research → Retrieval Queue
2. Select requests to print
3. Click Print Selected or individual print icon
4. Call slips open in print-friendly format
5. Use browser print function

10. 🚶 Walk-In Visitor Registration

Register and track visitors without researcher accounts.

Walk-In vs Registered Researchers:

Registration Process:

1. Select the reading room
2. Enter visitor details (name, ID, organization)
3. Record purpose of visit and research topic
4. Optionally assign a seat
5. Visitor acknowledges reading room rules
6. Click Register & Check In

Checking Out:

1. Find visitor in current list
2. Click Check Out
3. Confirm checkout
4. Visit is recorded with timestamps

Need Help?

• Technical Issues: Contact system administrator
• Access Questions: Contact the reading room
• Research Assistance: Contact the reference archivist

Last updated: February 2026 Part of the AHG Extensions for Heratio 2.10