Global electronic thesis and dissertation repositories – collection diversity and management issues

Authors: Fayaz Ahmad Loan, Ufaira Yaseen Shah

This article discovers the collection diversity of electronic thesis and dissertation (ETD) repositories based on key parameters such as regional distribution, subject classification, language diversity, etc. and identifies the critical management issues of the ETD repositories related to collection management, software management, content management and metadata policies.

The ETD repositories were identified in the Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR). The required data were manually collected from the OpenDOAR and websites of repositories to achieve the prescribed objectives of the study. The data were later tabulated, analysed and interpreted using simple arithmetic techniques.

The study was limited to the ETD repositories available in the OpenDOAR, and findings cannot be generalized across repositories and directories. It provides insights about ETD repositories worldwide, highlights their critical management issues and suggests mechanisms for their sustainable growth and development.

This article is purely based on research and its findings are valid for scholars, faculty members, institutions – as well as administrators and managers of the ETD repositories.

URL : Global electronic thesis and dissertation repositories – collection diversity and management issues

DOI : http://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.524

Status of Open Access Repositories in SAARC Countries…

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Status of Open Access Repositories in SAARC Countries: A Picture from OpenDOAR and ROAR :

“The paper throws light on the growth and development of open repositories in SAARC countries. The study explores various facets of open repositories and tries to present a lucid picture of their overall development in the region. The study provides a detailed description of repositories in terms of country and content type, reuse policies, and language diversity etc. The repositories of the SAARC countries were thoroughly sifted from the two prominent open access repositories (OpenDOAR and ROAR) and analyzed for various parameters. The paper discuss various steps that need to be taken to elevate the number and quality of repositories in the region with special reference to the research output and potential of the region to become one of the front runners of open access movement.”

URL : http://ijpd.co.in/vol1no2/001.pdf