Readers can contribute research through the upload wizard, but a Reader upload does not publish immediately. A completed submission enters Pending Review for an editorial decision.
You need a signed-in Reader account and one valid PDF. The file must have a PDF filename and actual PDF content; the wizard accepts a single file up to 50 MB. Gather the title, language, authorship choice, and paper-type-specific details before beginning.
1. Open the upload wizard and choose Paper Type
From the User Hub, choose Upload research, or open the uploader. The wizard moves through Paper Type, Metadata, Authors, File, and Review. You can go back before submitting.
- Choose Independent Research for a self-directed paper, conference paper, or article.
- Choose Extended Essay (EE) for an IB Diploma extended essay.
- Choose Community Project (CP) for an MYP Community Project.
- Choose Internal Assessment (IA) for a subject-specific IB Internal Assessment.
The choice controls later fields. One submission can be only one of EE, CP, or IA; ordinary papers use Independent Research.
2. Enter accurate metadata
Complete the displayed Paper Title, Language, and other required bibliographic details. Independent Research asks for Subject Category, keywords, and an abstract. Add a short, descriptive abstract and several focused keywords because these help Readers understand and find the work. Journal is optional; choose one only when the paper genuinely belongs to an available journal.
- Extended Essay: provide the Research Question, EE Subject, required criterion scores, and any requested commentary.
- Community Project: provide its Global Context, at least one Type of Action, and Criteria A–D details.
- Internal Assessment: choose an IA Subject and complete the criteria shown for that subject, or use the displayed overall-score option when applicable.
- Independent Research: provide the standard subject category, keywords, abstract, and ordinary bibliographic metadata.
Use field labels as a checklist. If the selected IA subject has no criteria available, choose another applicable subject or pause and seek help rather than inventing values.
3. Choose how authorship appears
For named work, use Named authors and supply the first author’s name, email, and school or institution; add co-authors as needed. When the wizard shows the relevant choices, This is an IB Sample Paper identifies an authorless reference sample, while Upload as anonymous publishes no author information if the submission is later accepted.
- Use named authors unless the work genuinely qualifies for one of the displayed alternatives.
- Review contact details for accuracy; they become part of the submission record.
- Do not select both IB Sample and anonymous—the wizard treats them as different authorship choices.
4. Add the PDF and review the submission
In File upload, select Choose file and add a single PDF. Simply renaming another file with a .pdf ending is not enough: Keydion checks that the file is a valid PDF. Continue to Review & submit, where the wizard summarizes the type, metadata, authors, type-specific details, and file.
- Confirm the filename and wait for the wizard to recognize the file.
- Resolve every “field still needs attention” message by returning to the named step.
- Check title, language, category, author mode, journal, and type-specific information one final time.
Controls such as PDF metadata assistance, abstract/keyword suggestions, or score auto-fill may be unavailable on this site or unavailable to Readers. Their absence does not block manual submission. Verify every suggestion yourself whenever an assistance control is shown.
5. Save a draft or Submit Paper
Select Save Draft when the submission is incomplete. A title is enough to create the draft; the remaining fields can be restored later from My submissions. Saving a draft does not send it for review and does not publish anything.
When every required field and the valid PDF are ready, select Submit Paper. For a Reader, the submission and file are sent for review, then shown as Pending Review. The paper is not publicly available merely because upload completed. An accepted decision is what makes it available in the library; a rejected decision leaves the outcome and reviewer feedback in your submission history.
6. Confirm the review handoff
After submission, open My Submissions and confirm the title appears as Pending Review. This check distinguishes a successful handoff from a draft you only saved or a form that stopped on validation. Keep your local PDF and a copy of the final metadata until the review is complete.
- Do not resubmit immediately if the pending record is present; that would create a separate submission.
- If no pending record appears, return to the uploader and look for a saved draft or an unresolved field/file message.
- Use the submission detail later to verify the file, outcome, and any reviewer comment.
Next steps
- Track Drafts and Submissions to resume a draft or follow the review outcome.
- Open My Submissions after saving or submitting.
- Set Up Your Reader Account if you cannot reach the uploader.