...2009 is a good time to be talking about repositories, research distribution strategies, and publishing services with your Office of the Provost.
Over the last year, the university-wide research distribution strategy has become a hot topic amongst provosts and other senior administrators. Recent work by prominent thinkers and associations has galvanized the community into action. Amongst Digital Commons repositories, we’re even observing a growing trend toward provost-driven initiatives, spurred by the recognition that an institutional repository serves two valuable roles: it is critical to establishing the university’s research distribution strategy; and, it enables the Office of the Provost to better serve the university’s mission.
A research distribution strategy is essential in the digital age. According to David Shulenberger, Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, a university-wide research distribution strategy would represent an institutional “shift from a passive role in research distribution to an active one.” He further argues that institutional repositories and research distribution strategies are tightly intertwined. “The effort,” he says, “to develop policy and strategies will undoubtedly cause greater appreciation of the value of university research within the university community and enhanced distribution will increase research value externally.” ...
To the Office of the Provost, the IR is most compelling as a research portal—a timely, highly-visible, comprehensive showcase to the institution’s scholarship. This “research showcase” serves to expand the reach and value of the scholarly work produced at the institution. In short, the repository is an integral part of the university’s “research distribution strategy.”
At the same time, the IR is a service that plays a key role in helping your provost fulfill his or her mission. The IR serves your provost by enabling the university to improve its ability to: share research with local communities; increase global visibility and prominence; enhance the quality of its teaching and research; and, further institutional advancement by securing funding....
Posted by
Peter Suber at 5/14/2009 08:42:00 PM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
