JISC

Versions of Eprints - User Requirements Study and Investigation Of the Need for Standards

Project Description

The project addresses the issues and uncertainties relating to versions of academic papers in digital repositories.  By including a user requirements study, the project will clarify the needs of researchers for deposit, storage and accessibility of different versions in the lifecycle of a digital resource.  In addition to looking at user needs, the project will analyse researchers’ current practice in terms of retention of author copies of their own material. This investigation into current practice will reveal the extent of available suitable versions for deposit in digital repositories. 

The user requirements study and the investigation into current practice will feed into a third strand of project activity which will develop a toolkit of guidelines and will propose standards on versions. This activity will be carried out in coordination with the JISC and working with relevant metadata standards and OAI communities. 

The project has a focus on eprints in the subject discipline of economics and takes a comparative view by drawing on established partnerships and experience with European libraries specialising in economics.