Getting started

Logging in

In order to get started with eSpaces, the first step is to access the site and log in. To perform any content management tasks, such as creating pages, editing items, or accessing secured content, you also require suitable permission to be granted to your user account.

Methods for logging in to eSpaces are:

• University or research institution accounts. See Logging in with an Institutional account. eSpaces supports accounts from:

  • Australian universities and research organisations that are part of the Australian Access Federation (AAF).
  • New Zealand universities and research organisations that are part of Tuakiri, New Zealand Access Federation.

• Local accounts. See Logging in with a Local Account. These are accounts that are specific to eSpaces.

  You may also self-register for an account; see Registering for a local account.

Important

Take care when selecting your login method. Get in touch with your site administrator if you’re unsure what sort of account you have.

If you’re having issues logging in, see Solving login issues.

Logging in with an Institutional account

eSpaces utilises Single Sign On (SSO) which allows users to login with an existing university or research organisation account. This technology is known as federated login via Shibboleth. In order to share content with other users, each user must log in to eSpaces at least once before they can be found.

Important

Before proceeding, ensure that your credentials have been provided by an institution or research organisation, rather than being local to eSpaces. If you try to sign in to an institution using local eSpaces credentials, it won’t work; see Logging in with a Local Account instead.

1. Click Login at top-righthand corner of the page:

   

2. Choose your login method; institutional login is already pre-selected.

   

3. Select your organisation from the dropdown menu.

   Note

   If your institution or organisation doesn’t appear in the list, you contact your local IT support staff about whether you are part of one of the supported federations.

4. Click the Login button.

5. You will be taken to the selected organisation’s authentication page. Enter your credentials and login.

   Note

   This is an example of the James Cook University login page. Your institution’s page will look different and may behave differently. Follow your own organisation’s login steps to proceed.

   

6. You may be prompted to release certain details about your account from your organisation to eSpaces, including name, email address, and other particulars. You must accept this to continue so that you can be identified within our system.

7. Once logged in, notice that your name is displayed at the top-right hand corner.

   You can click on this to display the user actions menu, which you’ll use to change your settings and log out.

   

Logging in with a Local Account

Because eSpaces utilises local accounts, you can login with a username and password that are specific to this site.

Note

You have the ability to self-register for an account on eSpaces. Follow the steps in Registering for a local account; you don’t need to wait for a site administrator to create an account for you.

Note

This login method is particularly useful for users that aren’t associated with other account types.

1. Click the Login link in the top right hand corner of the page.

   

2. Click on the Local Login heading and enter your details in the login form provided.

   

3. Click the Local Login button.

4. Once logged in, notice that your name is displayed at the top-right hand corner.

   You can click on this to display the user actions menu, which you’ll use to change your settings and log out.

   

Logging out

When you’re finished working with eSpaces, you should always ensure that you log out.

1. Click your username in the top-right hand corner of the site to reveal the user actions menu.
2. Click Log out.

Important

If you are logged in via your instutional credentials, you can log out of the portal, but your browser will remember you for use on other services from your local institution or your federation Australian Access Federation (AAF) services. You’ll see an example of this if you click Login again on eSpaces; the AAF login box shows you’re already AAF-authenticated.

To log out entirely, either restart the browser you use are using, or clear all cookies relating to aaf.edu.au and espaces.edu.au.

Solving login issues

Note

If you’re experiencing issues logging in, follow the troubleshooting steps below; they will help to resolve most situations.

• Ensure your username and password are correct and retry logging in. Remember both are case-sensitive.

• Ensure that you are logging into the correct institution for your user account. For example, if you have a James Cook University account, then this is what you must select.
• An issue may be present with your institution’s account. Since authentication is provided by your institution directly, please refer to your local helpdesk for troubleshooting and password reset requests. Please refer to your institution’s website for contact details.

• If you have forgotten your password to your local eSpaces account, click the Forgot your password? link on the login page and follow the steps.

• Try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies, restarting your browser, or, in extreme cases, restarting your computer.

If you’re still unable to login, contact your site administrator for more assistance.

Registering for a local account

Note

Remember that if you have an existing institutional account for a university or research organisation you do not need to register for an account. Just follow the steps for Logging in.

You have the ability to self-register for an account on eSpaces, meaning that you do not require a site administrator to create an account for you.

1. Click the Log in link at the top of any page.

2. Click the Register section on the login page to reveal the account registration form.

   

   Your registration form may have slight differences.

3. Complete the registration form with the required details, including the verification field, if present. Take note of your username, you’ll need this to log in.

4. Click the Register button at the bottom of the form to complete your registration.

5. You will be required to validate your email address in order to use your account. You be sent a validation email containing a link you’ll need to click to verify your account and set a password.

6. Once you have completed these steps, your account will be ready for use.

If you’re collaborating with colleagues, they can now find your account on eSpaces and may share content with you.

Permissions and access

In a nutshell, a user can be granted access to perform specific actions in different areas of the site.

Access is granted via roles, which can be granted either within a specific area of the site (called local roles), which can be managed by users that already have permissions, or across an entire site site (called global roles), which are the managed by site administrators.

Access can be granted either to a specific user or a group of users. Creation and management of groups of users is managed by site administrators.

Issues or concerns about insufficient access should be directed towards your site administrator or nominated representative, such as a colleague or collaborator.

For more information on granting and controlling access, see Granting access to your content.