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Disseration Research:
Case Studies on Institutional Repository Development: Creating narratives for project management and assessment
The development of an institutional repository (IR) is
one of the more complex projects that librarians may undertake. While
many librarians have managed large information system projects, IR
projects involve a larger stakeholder group and require support from
technical services, public services and administration to succeed. A
significant increase in the development of repositories is expected
with technology and process improvements for digital collection
development. This study investigated the development of repositories at
doctoral institutions, identifying factors that influence development
and best practices using a comparative case study analysis approach to
gather and analyze data. A detailed account and analysis of academic
institutional repositories was formed providing knowledge of individual
IR development as well as a cross case comparison of developmental
factors including adoption, motivating factors and perceived benefits.
The use of a narrative, project management practices beyond technical
development, and the inclusion of the campus community are identified
as key factors in development. Best practices and recommendations for
future developers, such as early involvement of stakeholder groups and
the need to educate both librarians and faculty about open access
collections are also discussed. This study contributes to a more
informed understanding of the development of IRs and identifies a model
framework for future IR developers.
Presentations:
- Storytelling and Institutional Repositories (New
Horizons Panel). (2008). SPARC Digital Repositories Meeting 2008.
Baltimore, Maryland. November 17.
- Institutional repositories: What is success? Beyond Limits: Building Open Access
Collections (Pre-conference Session). (2007). British Columbia Library Conference. Burnaby, British Columbia,
Canada. April 19.
- Factors influencing the development of institutional repositories. Doctoral Poster Session. (2007).
Association of Library and Information Science Educators Annual Conference. Seattle, Washington. January
16.
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