FAIR Synthesis: Types of Repositories

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There are many types of repositories depending on the content they contain and how they work. Use the links below to find out how FAIR projects have and are exploring various types.  In each section there’s a list of operational repositories and pilots to view:

E-prints 

Four of the FAIR projects are developing repositories of e-prints. Each is approaching e-prints in different ways and focusing on complementary issues:
  • DAEDALUS The University of Glasgow is investigating the use of different types of repository software to store different types of research materials, from which they can be disclosed within the university and to the wider community using OAI
  • SHERPA The University of Nottingham is working with 18 partner institutions to develop e-print repositories and develop guidance on their take-up and use by authors
  • TARDis The University of Southampton is investigating the technical and cultural aspects of setting up an e-print repository and making this an integral part of the research and publication process within the university
  • HaIRST The University of Strathclyde is leading this project to explore how metadata can be used to disclose and share materials across institutions.  Part of the project has involved building pilot repositories for e-prints and learning materials for its project partners as a testbed for metadata harvesting

Projects have explored the practical aspects of building a repository, including selecting software, assigning metadata using Dublin Core, using metadata for search and disclosure, and designing processes like submission and workflow. TARDis has done some valuable work on metadata quality and subject classification. SHERPA is developing a range of best practice guidance for institutions building their own repositories. 

The e-print projects have selected either EPrints or DSpace software for their repositories. Implementation is different at each institution, and some projects have developed useful tools to use with their repository.  For example, DAEDALUS has developed scripts to import bibliographic data from Reference Manager into EPrints.  TARDis is developing a RAE management interface tool to use with EPrints software (also developed by University of Southampton) so that information about research output in the repository can be used for the UK Research Assessment Exercise. See  developing new tools for further details. 

Much work has also been done on the cultural aspects of repositories, and advocacy is a very important component of most projects.  Each has had to address how to ‘sell’ the concept of open access repositories to academics and develop strategies for populating their repositories; they have developed a wealth of advocacy materials to assist with this that will be useful to others.  Some projects have adopted a mediated archiving model to encourage population of the repository, i.e. academics are assisted by staff to archive their work. 

Resources of general interest

Repositories to view

Theses 

Three FAIR projects have focused on developing repositories for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) and exploring the surrounding issues.  Each of the projects has focused on different aspects:
  • Electronic Theses This project led by The Robert Gordon University has examined the practice and methods of ETD production, management and use.  Models and guidance were developed for the community based on work with their project partners
  • DAEDALUS The University of Glasgow is investigating the use of different types of repository software to store different types of research materials (including ETDs), from which they can be disclosed within the university and to the wider community using OAI
  • Theses Alive! The University of Edinburgh has developed an OAI-compliant pilot system for the management of ETDs and created a thesis submission  add-on system (TAPIR) for this.  ETDs are one of the research outputs included in the Edinburgh Research Archive

The projects have gained a wealth of practical experience exploring the requirements of ETDs in repositories, especially where ETDs are one of many research outputs present.  They have assessed and compared repository software that would be most suitable for ETDs, including EPrints, DSpace, and ETD-db. All have elected to use DSpace, and Theses Alive! has developed a DSpace add-on (TAPIR) to support the submission of ETDs. They have also documented the processes associated with managing ETDs and developed guidelines that other institutions can adopt. 

An important outcome has been the work the projects have done to develop national solutions, in consultation with the British Library.  The projects collaborated to develop a UK Metadata Core Set for ETDs. This has been widely discussed and is now becoming recognised as the UK standard.  Electronic Theses considered national models that would be appropriate for EDTs and shared recommendations with the community.  The work will continue in the EThOS project (funded by JISC), a collaboration across a number of universities and the British Library to further investigate ETDs on a national basis.  The project is led by University of Glasgow (DAEDALUS), and partners include University of Edinburgh (Theses Alive!), The Robert Gordon University (Electronic Theses), University of Southampton (TARDis), and the SHERPA consortium led by University of Nottingham.  See further information. 

Resources of general interest

Repositories to view

  • DAEDALUS – The Glasgow DSpace Service (https://dspace.gla.ac.uk/index.jsp) is a repository for University of Glasgow theses, working papers, technical reports, and pre-prints.  This service will be launched officially during 2005
  • Electronic Theses – The Robert Gordon University service will be available at http://www.rgu.ac.uk/library/etds/RGU.html
  • Theses Alive! – The Edinburgh Research Archive (http://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/index.jsp), developed through efforts within the Theses Alive! and SHERPA projects, seeks to record the research outputs from the University of Edinburgh

Museums and Images 

Three of the FAIR projects have focused on the special requirements of repositories containing non-bibliographic items like images and museum objects.  The starting point for these projects was an established collection, and a common theme was how OAI-PMH could be used to disclose this to a wider audience. 
  • Accessing the Virtual Museum This project, based at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at University College London, has digitised a range of Coptic and Islamic museum objects.  Disclosure has been tested using OAI with the Archaeology Data Service
  • Harvesting the Fitzwilliam The University of Cambridge digitised a range of objects and coins from the Fitzwilliam Museum collections for disclosure using the OAI protocol, and delivery of this material has been tested through the Arts and Humanities Data Service and Archaeology Data Service
  • BioMed Image Archive The University of Bristol has explored issues related to the submission of medical images to a repository and the disclosure of them to the education and health communities

In addition to performing their project work separately, these projects (together with  Hybrid Archives) worked as a cluster to explore the use of OAI-PMH for non-bibliographic objects. OAI is predominantly based on the use of Dublin Core, which is aimed at bibliographic records but has limitations when used for images and museum objects. This has implications for harvesting metadata, searching, and disclosure. An important outcome of the FAIR programme was the discussion papers this cluster developed exploring these issues. It may be that the use of collection description is more appropriate for some museum objects, as item descriptions can become too similar to be useful. 

Resources of general interest

Repositories to view

  • Accessing the Virtual Museum – Go to the Petrie Museum web site (http://www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk/index2.html) and select ‘Search the Online Catalogue’ from ‘The Petrie Museum’ menu
  • BioMed Image Archive – http://www.brisbio.ac.uk/index.html – Please note that access is limited to ATHENS users.  Also note that due to ongoing developments, parts of the current BioMed implementation at this URL may be unavailable at times
  • Harvesting the Fitzwilliam – All content produced is accessible via the main Museum OPAC and specific coins OPAC, respectively.  For the main collection, go to the Fitzwilliam Museum website (http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/), click on 'Collections' and then ‘Online Catalogue’; for the coins collection go to the Fitzwilliam Museum coins website (http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/index.html), click on 'The Early Medieval Corpus Project' and then 'Search the Corpus'

OAI Service Providers 

Institutions that develop repositories disclose the resources to their own institutional users through local interfaces.  A key objective of the FAIR programme is to explore how the resources held in repositories can be disclosed to the wider community.  The Open Access Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) is the standard that enables this.  ‘Service providers’ harvest metadata from individual OAI-compliant repositories into a local repository at the service provider, allowing users to search across them.  Three FAIR projects are developing OAI service providers.
  • ePrints This project based at UKOLN developed a pilot national service provider by harvesting metadata from available institutional and subject-based e-print repositories, mainly in the UK, and making the central database available for searching on the RDN server.
  • HaIRST The University of Strathclyde is leading this project to explore the service provider concept within a consortium of FE/HE institutions.
  • DAEDALUS The University of Glasgow is investigating the provision of a single point of access to all its repositories, testing both OAI service providers and Google. Access will be for both internal and external use.

For searching across repositories to be effective, the metadata that service providers harvest must be consistent and of good quality. OAI-PMH requires the use of Dublin Core. ePrints UK has made an important contribution to FAIR by developing a set of good practice guidelines for using Dublin Core for e-prints for the FAIR e-print projects to use.  HaIRST is harvesting metadata for a wide range of resources, including learning materials. To accommodate these different types of materials, HaIRST is developing a model for layering metadata so it can be searched and disclosed at different levels. 

Both ePrints UK and HaIRST are exploring how their pilot services could be developed into true national services.  ePrints UK harvests metadata from approximately 30 institutional repositories on a daily basis and could form the basis of a national e-prints service.  The HaIRST experience of working with a consortium of Scottish FE/HE institutions could also be developed into a model for Scotland or for disclosing Scottish resources within the UK.  HaIRST have already established the OAI Scotland Information Service (OAISIS), a web site offering information and advice on OAI developments in Scotland. 

Resources of general interest

Demonstrations to view

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