Subject repositories serve a similar function within their disciplines, but they often evolve in radically different ways from inside their respective fields. When the largest subject repositories such as PubMed Central, CiteSeerX, arXiv, RePEc, SSRN, and AgEcon Search are examined, there are more differences than similarities in terms of sustainability models, software, users, and management. These repositories have developed in relative isolation, all catering to specific disciplinary cultures.

While the success of these repositories should be celebrated, there is a great need to develop general best practices and standards for the building and management of subject repositories. According to OpenDOAR, there are over a hundred discipline-based repositories, many of which have a specifically focused scope. Two such repositories are InterNano (Information Clearinghouse for Nanomanufacturing) and ESENCe Beta (Ethics in Science and Engineering National Clearinghouse), which are National Science Foundation-funded projects hosted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst that serve science and engineering disciplines.

When building InterNano and ESENCe Beta, the presenters noted a near complete lack of general literature on the management and development of subject repositories. This project briefing will explain how InterNano and ESENCe Beta were developed through focus groups, user surveys, workshops, and other forms of outreach to related research communities. The briefing will also address the challenges involved in developing standards for repositories that serve diverse disciplines, such as catering to specific user groups and managing different types of site content. The primary desired outcome of the briefing is to begin a discussion on standards for subject repositories.