13 Repository Standards
Repositories can be a perfect tool for broadening access to research materials. Publications in repositories are typically indexed by search engines such as Google, Google Scholar, and OAIster. For this reason, materials in repositories are widely accessible in compliance with most funder open access requirements.
Repositories come in several flavors.
- Institutional repositories: Managed by particular institutions. Often academic in nature, these repositories allow deposits across a range of disciplines. An example is Research Exchange, managed by WSU Libraries.
- Subject-specific repositories: Serve particular disciplines. Examples include arXiv and PubMed.
- Generalist repositories: Examples include Dryad and figshare.
Repositories can be used to deposit full-text copies of journal articles, manuscripts, and datasets. They can also be used to deposit metadata-only records, which essentially summarize the details about a publication. Materials in repositories may not be peer reviewed depending on the material type.
When selecting a repository, researchers should consider a number of factors including the repository’s retention policy, clarity of structure, use of metadata, quality assurance practices, policies on reuse, sustainability, security practices, and overall transparency of conduct. Some of these standards are indicated in the following: