UUK Briefing

UUK Briefing: Research Information and Management Workshop, 5^th December 2007

The value of institutional repositories regularly gets lost in the confused debate over Open Access, Archiving and Open Access Publishing. More particularly, the importance of the word “institutional” is almost never mentioned. Many institutions see their repositories as a sort of subsidiary activity to be managed by the library. The issue of mandating deposit is an important one, but most important of all is that with or without a mandate those institutions which actively promote, manage and use repositories will gain competitive edge. Their research output will be more visible, more cited and more influential. This workshop provides an overview of the key functions and benefits of investing in such repositories and demonstrates how it can lie at the core of the institution’s research management process.

Maximising the Impact of Research

At present it appears that as part of the new research assessment methodology, a narrow set of bibliometrics will be used to determine both levels of funding and the institution’s place in league tables. Citation counts and impact factors will become critical markers and institutions need to learn how to maximise the visibility of their research outputs. Whatever metrics are eventually chosen, energetically managed repositories will give institutions an edge. Properly managed repositories are automatically harvested by Google, showcase the work of young researchers and allow insights into who is accessing research. There is clear evidence that placing publications in an institutional repository enhances the impact of research and allows a better understanding of how and where research is used. An institutional repository will ensure that research is:

- cited sooner

- cited more often

- show from which countries downloads are being made

- show the balance between downloading an abstract (typically used as a step

for citation) and downloading the full text (which implies the article is intended

for reading)

Doctoral theses usually lie largely untouched and unread in library stores. It is increasingly common for repositories to hold theses and often Masters dissertations. There is growing if still anecdotal evidence that this exposure of young researchers work via Google not only enhances their employability but also their capacity to win funds.

Management of Research

Where the institution holds a complete record of research output in the repository, it becomes possible to begin to use the data in understanding where the university is performing best. The data can be used to understand a whole range of things such as the productivity of individuals and groups over time; the impact of individuals and groups over time; the geographic impact of research and so on. Linked to the information in the CRIS (current research information system), the repository provides a complete tool for measuring and managing the research of an institution.

Regulatory functions

1) A variety of major funding agencies ranging from research councils to the Wellcome Trust has mandated deposit of publications stemming from funded research. Such deposit is then a necessary if tedious administrative chore. It can be dealt with simply, as part of the repository management process.

2) The research assessment process will always have some element relating to publication. Routine deposit of all of an institution’s research output into the repository will make harvesting of such material a simple task

3) Typically, a variety of institutional activities rely on publication details, ranging from annual reports to promotion procedures for individuals. A single source of information allows these processes to be managed in an efficient and effective manner.

Resource Curation

There is a growing issue over the long-term preservation of research data. Repository tools allow the preservation not just of research outputs but the preservation of research inputs ranging from satellite data to oral history. Only the institution has an absolute obligation to ensure the preservation of the intellectual assets which it has created.

Public Profile

This works at two levels – public good and institutional self-promotion.

Most universities are committed in practice or through their mission statement to the dissemination of knowledge. Many believe in the principle that publicly funded research should be available to the public. Placing papers in repositories provides a readily accessible source of benefit to the public and in particular to policy advisors, civil servants, journalists and opinion formers.

In a more general and altruistic sense, and irrespective of the size of the institution, it is a way of providing its contribution to a global integrated resource for scholarship and research. It becomes part of the common wealth and is an affirmation of scholarly values.

Over time it also becomes a comprehensive record of the work and life of the institution and of its response to the issues and problems of the society which it inhabits.

Finally, in terms of publicity it can be a vital tool for marketing and publicity. It showcases the institution and its strengths, it demonstrates its reach and importance in the global community; it demonstrates the interests and successes of the institution to potential staff and students; it allows recognition of the value of the university to society and it provides evidence of the value of the university.

L.Carr

D. Law

(Session Chairs)