Current Challenges for Institutional Repository Administrators UC&RG, University of Derby, May 2007 Peter Millington SHERPA Technical Development Officer SHERPA, University of Nottingham

Introduction Who are SHERPA? The Open Access landscape OA-IR Administrator Concerns Services & support from SHERPA projects Conclusions Slides online at: SHERPA Homepage > Presentations

Who are SHERPA? SHERPA Project ( ) –Securing a Hybrid Environment for Research Preservation and Access –Setting up IRs with partners institutions (7 rising to 23) SHERPA (2006-) –Now ongoing project based team –Broader portfolio of projects –Funded by JISC, CURL, OSI, SPARC Europe, Wellcome Trust Work activities include –Assisting in set up & develop of institutional repositories –Investigating related issues, disseminating experience & advice –All projects relate to scholarly publishing & Open Access

Who are SHERPA? Core team –Based at University of Nottingham, UK –Principal project concerns –Overlapping portfolio of experience Focus on supporting IR development –Across UK & Europe Partner Officers based at UK Universities –33 institutions in active partnership –New affiliates in process of joining

Exeter (Affiliate)

SHERPA Continuation Partnership decided to keep working together –Diverse membership means a good testing ground Individual institutions following own projects Have a variety of partner benefits – list & Update service & website –Partner meetings & internal professional networking Managed transition from single funded project to working across multiple funding streams Developed a portfolio of projects

SHERPA Activity SHERPA/RoMEO, JULIET –Authors rights, IPR & funding mandates OpenDOAR, Intute Repository Search –Discovery & search services SHERPA DP, PROSPERO/Depot –Preservation & long term access DRIVER, SHERPA Plus & Repositories Support Project –Repository development & administrator support Contributing to –EThOS, Copyright Knowledge Bank, Institutional Repository Statistics, DART-Europe, RIOJA

SHERPA Today Respected voice in OA development International reputation SPARC Europe 2007 Award for Outstanding Achievements in Scholarly Communication winners Focus for bids and proposals for new work Requests for collaboration & source of information and advice Provides services seen as vital to OA infrastructure

Open Access Landscape Open Access - definitions Open Access Journals Open Access Repositories Data Providers and Service Providers Repository networks Less of a niche activity

OA Repositories Worldwide

Publishing & Repositories Author writes paper Submits to journal Paper refereed Revised by author Author submits final version Published in journal Deposit in open access repository Preprint Postprint Conference papers Learning Objects Theses Research Data, images, information etc Postprint

Repository Contents Preprints Postprints Datasets Learning objects Videos Sound files Theses Dissertations Royalty publications Conference papers Technical reports Grey literature Linkage between these objects

OA Repository Types

Institutional Repositories Digital collections that preserve and provide access to the intellectual output of an institution. –Raym Crow The case for institutional repositories: a SPARC position paper Contents freely available to all –No subscription or restrictions to readership Encourage wider use of open access information assets May contain a variety of digital objects –e-prints, theses, e-learning objects, datasets etc

Why Institutional? The OAI-PMH allows a single gateway to search and access many repositories –Institutional storage and support –Subject-based portals or views –Subject-based classification and search Practical reasons –Use institutional infrastructure –Integration into work-flows and systems –Support is close to academic users and contributors –Longevity concerns over some SRs

The Role of Advocacy A successful repository requires cultural change –An advocacy campaign is an effective tool –Tone and content varied by target audience –A core message & ethos is essential Build informed awareness of OA issues –Neglecting advocacy will result in repository decline No hard and fast rules –What has worked well for some might work others The right level of engagement is crucial –E.g. Selling technical minutiae to senior management

7 (& a bit) Advocacy Pillars 1.Set Achievable Targets 2.Discipline & Community 3.Educate & Clarify 4.Seize the Moment 5.Allies & Comparators 6.Enable Effective Deposition 7.Achieve Quick Wins 7.5…Challenges

Identifying Current Concerns? SHERPA Roadshow –Toured UK visiting 10 locations –Expanded on SHERPA Partnership experiences –Moving from awareness to practicalities Snap shot of the current UK OAR scene –Examined challenges faced by repository administrators –Outcomes feeding into UKCoRR –UKCoRR workshops exploring themes further

Concerns Post-Roadshow Sample Jan-Apr 07, n=124

Concerns IPR & Copyright –Staying legal and comprehensible Technical & software issues –Not just implementation but development Policies & workflow –Who does the work & effective approaches Isolation & support –Training needs, mutual support & best practice

OA Repository Software

Practicalities, Services & Support SHERPA Website –Past presentations & advocacy advice –Partner generated materials –Guidance for authors on various issues –Guidance for repository administrators –Partners & Affiliates services DRIVER Support & RSP sites –Also offering & developing reusable materials

Practicalities, Services & Support OpenDOAR –Quality assured survey & service –Search for repositories & browse by criteria –Variety of output formats Information on repositories includes –OAI-PMH URLs for m2m use –Contact s, address and tel of administrators –Descriptive reviews of each site –Standardised policies for 5 key aspects

OpenDOAR Tools OpenDOAR search –Powered by Google Custom Search Engine –Unlocks research in repositories Repository policy generator –Use standardised format to define policies –Aids impact & visibility of deposited research Distribution service –Community enhancement aid Application Programmers Interface (API) –m2m allowing external running of queries

Practicalities, Services & Support SHERPA/RoMEO –Based on work at Loughborough (2003) –Author retained rights in plain English –Quality assured by publishers –Incorporating specific journal variations (soon) –Controlled descriptive vocabulary International reuse of data –Site available in regional languages –A lobbying tool locally, nationally & globally

SHERPA/RoMEO Highlights publishers archiving policies –279 currently listed Green (36%) Can archive both pre & post-prints Blue (26%) Can archive post-print only Yellow (11%) Can archive pre-print only White (27%) Archiving not formally supported Quality assured by contacting publishers Prohibitive restrictions reduce colour level Figures accurate as of May 2007

RoMEO Challenges No information online –Publisher reluctance or uncertainty Conflicting information –Differing sets of guidelines –Poorly phrased guidance –Unclear boundaries for learned societies using publishers Changes to publisher permissions –Full time job keep site & data current Prototype API available for data reuse

JULIET Implications of funding mandates –Highlights 3 key areas –International in focus 22 current funders listed –Quality assured through links with funders –Uses controlled vocabulary –Links to full policies wherever possible SHERPA/RoMEO links to JULIET data –For additional clarity where conflicting policies exist

JULIET

From Advocacy to Support New phase for the UK HE community Repositories Support Project –2.5 year JISC funded across England and Wales –Providing training, mentoring, advice & enquiry resolution –Particular support for JISC start-up & enhancement funded institutions UKCoRR –Professional society for repository workers –Focus on practical issues and real solutions –Inaugural meeting 21 st May University of Nottingham

Conclusion There are many concerns for repository administrators The global scholarly communication debate is not an easy one to engage in isolation SHERPA services and projects exist to support the OA movement in the UK

Peter Millington SHERPA Technical Development Officer SHERPA, University of Nottingham

Sites of Interest