National Models
Within a single country, there are benefits to be gained from providing a level of coordinated national support for repository development. This support is of two main types: support for the establishment and development of repositories; and support for the use of repositories. The first is developmental, providing support structures for a national network of repositories to be established. The second is service-based, providing support for the use of repositories by academics and the maintenance of repositories by their administrators. This support is likely to be required in the longer term.
Repository Networks
There are four principal models for national developmental support structures.
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Collaborative partnerships
This model builds on a partnership of institutions working together in a mutually supportive initiative. Partners benefit from peer-level support and the identification and sharing of best practice. Economies can be made by establishing shared technical resources and shared management. In some cases it might be appropriate to share a repository, at least in the initial stages.
An example of this approach is the UK-based SHERPA Project and partnership.
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National support programmes
Where there is a national coordinating body which can operate across institutions, one option is to fund a national development programme, where institutions can get support and information from a single centralised point, that is relevant to their needs. This has the advantage of allowing each institution to proceed at its own rate, which providing sufficient centralised support to help promote working standards and share best practice. This requires political will and commitment from a central body, together with significant levels of funding.
The UK-based RSP - Repositories Support Project is an example of this approach.
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Comprehensive national partnerships
Creating a fully comprehensive support partnership for all institutions is more suitable for a smaller country or one with fewer institutions. This approach brings the benefit of a coordinated national response, with the ability to set joint working practices, standards. As the partnership is working within a single legislative and administrative environment, there are advantages in administration and policy development. There are also economies of scale in providing technical and administrative support. However, with larger numbers of institutions involved, the complexity of working across institutions can mean that the model is impractical.
An example is the Dutch repositories model, underlined by the National Academic Research and Collaborations Information System NARCIS which provides access to thousands of scientific publications and data sets, as well as information on researchers (expertise), research projects and research institutes in the Netherlands.
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Centralised repository services
Studies have found that institutional repositories offer advantages of longevity and stability of access for materials, as well as giving various benefits to the institutions themselves. However, there are circumstances where centralised repository services for a country can offer significant advantages. In addition to the economy given by having a single point of technical support and development, standards are easier introduce and policy development may be simplified. One significant disadvantage is the possible depersonalization of the service, taking it away from local management and academic liaison.
Last updated: 21-Nov-2008