Copyright (c) 2009 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/ir_research Recent documents in IR Research en-us Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:13:57 PDT 3600 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/30 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/30 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:48:05 PDT There is little agreement on which factors lead to successful institutional repositories. Researchers primarily cite content recruitment and services as key factors; however, there has also been discussion of measuring IR success in terms of how well the IR furthers the overall goals of the library. This paper examines the topic of IRs and success. Our findings are based on a comparative case study of five IRs in colleges and universities. We argue that success should be measured by both internal (e.g., content or services) as well as external factors - how well the IR fulfills or brings the library closer to achieving its long-term goals in terms of service to the academic community. Elizabeth Yakel Institutional Repositories Institutional Repositories - Return on Investment http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/29 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/29 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:46:13 PDT The concept of the institutional repository (IR) is too narrowly focused to develop the value that universities should be extracting from its existence. Is it not possible for IRs to serve as full-fledged electronic libraries and thereby serve the greater purpose of collecting, disseminating, analyzing and exchanging useful digital information for academic purposes? Should not the IR be coupled with the full range of academic and research support services that new technologies permit? In an era of social networking, why is the university not moving quickly to develop what I call a social academic research service that can enhance the role of libraries, librarians, and IT specialists in the academic endeavor? It is the assertion and questions above that I hope to address in this presentation. Many of the points will be made by using the example of the Catherwood Library of the ILR School (School of Industrial & Labor Relations) at Cornell University. Stuart Basefsky Open Access Scholarship Institutional Repositories http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/28 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/28 Tue, 12 May 2009 11:59:37 PDT Jean-Gabriel Bankier Institutional Repositories Research Distribution Strategy http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/27 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/27 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:54:44 PDT Clifford A. Lynch Institutional Repositories http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/26 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/26 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:02:02 PDT Karla Hahn Open Access Scholarship Institutional Repositories Research Distribution Strategy http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/25 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/25 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:43:49 PST Despite a proliferation of institutional repositories being established in recent years, and the significant financial and staffing resources invested in them, many have not fulfilled their initial promise. While most repository managers have been committed to providing open access to the research output of their institutions, many repositories have limited content and most academics have not yet been persuaded to engage with them in a sustained way. It has been hypothesised that better results might be obtained if population strategies were more aligned with the needs and current work practices of academics rather than the primary focus of the repository being as a showcase for the institution.In 2008 Southern Cross University Library's ePublications@SCU project team sought to take a more "academic-friendly" approach to repository development with the view that this would ultimately lead to improved deposit rates. Attempts were made to reduce any perceived complexities of the system that may be barriers to academic participation. Some of the strategies employed by Library staff included: producing promotional material that highlighted the personal and professional benefits for academics of the repository, creating Personal Researcher Pages for each academic in order to showcase their scholarly profiles, and taking responsibility for copyright checking and uploading of all papers into the repository.This paper reports on the results of a study conducted at Southern Cross University in 2008. Kerri L. Burn Case Studies Institutional Repositories Digital Commons http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/24 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/24 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:29:48 PDT An institutional repository [IR] is a means to collect the intellectual digital output of an organization. This white paper discusses creating a business case for the IR, obtaining content for the repository, managing intellectual property issues and extending the IR beyond a single institution. James M. Donovan Case Studies Institutional Repositories Digital Commons http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/23 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/23 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:58:35 PST Institutional repositories (IRs) have been developed and promoted primarily as a means to re-publish scholarly content previously published elsewhere--usually in journals, festschriften, or collections of articles. This essay discusses the use of IRs as the originating publisher of materials not previously published elsewhere, and assesses their potential use as a viable "first resort" for scholarly publication and an already existing alternative to traditional commercial or university presses. Paul Royster Open Access Scholarship Institutional Repositories http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/22 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/22 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:14:54 PST A law firm associate has prepared a continuing legal education PowerPoint presentation that resides on the hard drive of the associate's laptop. Another associate has served as an expert witness at a U.S. congressional hearing and the testimony is available on the GPO's website. The law firm's annual report from last year is stored on the intranet on the firm's web server. The firm's librarian has delivered an educational presentation at a professional meeting that is available on the web as a podcast.How can all of these diverse items be captured, archived, organized and readily accessible on the web in one location for public access? An institutional repository can provide the perfect solution. Carol A. Watson Institutional Repositories http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/21 http://works.bepress.com/ir_research/21 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:15:29 PST Purpose - The purpose of this article is to outline the experiences of an Australian university in selecting a proprietary solution for its open access digital repository requirements. Design/methodology/approach - An overview is presented of the environment leading up to the decision to select Digital Commons over an open source software solution. The paper also outlines subsequent experiences during a one-year period in operating the outsourced solution. Findings - Outsourcing is an appropriate digital repository option for higher education institutions when costs are considered and compared with open source solutions, and especially when on-site IT support is limited. Outsourcing allows local staff to concentrate on liaison with faculty in promoting and populating the repository. Practical implications - A useful resource for those considering the use of proprietary or open source software for their institutional repository. Originality/value - This papers deals with a little discussed area of the relatively new subject of open access institutional repositories. Michael Organ Institutional Repositories