Institutional Repositories… publish and be damned? IWMW University of Aberdeen Stephanie Taylor UKOLN
A Very Short History of the Institutional Repository (1)… Lots of interest from institutions, funding bodies and the HE ‘blue skies thinkers’ Every institution should have one! A showcase for research A resource for teaching and learning materials Institutions are doing it for themselves!
A Very Short History of the Institutional Repository (2)… Funding follows, projects bloom, institutions start to implement Technical infrastructure quickly settles on bought in software packages hosted in-house Institutions start comparatively slow and steady implementation of an IR Not all potential contributers are enthusiastic IRs are so last year!
When IRs met Web Managers… Not always love at first sight (!) In the world outside, all things Web 2.0 and social networking are happening In comparison, IRs seem very cumbersome – Out-of-the-box software Hosted locally Not dynamic in a Web 2.0 sense Not very sexy?
IRs – What Is The Point? Why not store, access and share the contents of an IR online? Why not use existing tools and services like Google suite, Flickr etc., not locally-hosted software? Haven’t we got lots of other stuff already doing the same thing? Do we really need an IR as part of our web presence? IRs are so not Web 2.0!
Irreconcilable Cultural Differences? Who is controlling the IR content and why? Academics and institutions – an eternal conflict? Why bother getting involved Why not let researchers look after their own research output? Why not let teachers manage their own learning materials? Doesn’t open access mean self-management? They’ll never catch on!
And Another Thing… Outsourcing the IR seems like the latest trend Aren’t institutions loosing control? Is it part of the institutional web presence or isn’t it? How risky is it to outsource core technologies? IR Managers – can’t live with ‘em - can’t live with ‘em…!
Walking in the shoes of someone else... What does an IR manager have to do to get attention around here? How can I sell this to researchers if I have nothing to show them? Where do I put deposits if the repository isn’t ready? Who cares where it is and who looks after it as long as it does want I want? It’s the content, stupid!
What’s The Big Deal? It isn’t the content It isn’t the software It isn’t the hosting options It isn’t a single solution to any problem It’s all about… …changing the publishing model!
The IR – A Quick Review The IR has a role in the output of an institution The IR has a role in the output of an individual researcher and teacher The IR isn’t the single answer to any question – it is one tool that can be used effectively It needs to be seen as part of an overall network of sharing and managing e-content Breaking News – the IR has a useful role!
Into The Future (1)… View the IR as one of many small conversations you institution is having with many audiences – Research staff & teaching staff Students Administrators Prospective staff and students Local community Regional, national and international institutions Funding bodies Anyone else who knows you…
Into The Future (2)… Consider the IR as part of your whole web presence, not matter who manages it or where it is hosted Think flexibility – open access may not always be appropriate for all material Think integration – how can it be integrated into other initiatives and linked to other online tools, both Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 as well as in-house systems
The Big News About IRs… They are not the answer to all the problems of an institution There is a lot of work still to be done to make them useful for contributors and users But, the really big news is…
The Institutional Repository… …is actually quite useful!
Stephanie Taylor Questions?