JISC

The Repositories Support Project (RSP) began as a 2.5 year project to co-ordinate and deliver good practice and practical advice to English and Welsh HEIs to enable the implementation, management and development of digital institutional repositories.  The second, 3-year phase, began in March 2009.

The RSP will contribute to building repository capacity, knowledge and skills within institutions. Through providing guidance and advice it will benefit the whole of the UK sector resulting in the wider take-up and development of institutional repositories in HEIs.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of the RSP is to progress the vision of a deployed network of inter-working repositories for academic papers, learning materials and research data across the UK. Whilst fulfilling the business requirements of HEIs to manage their assets, showcase research outputs, and share learning materials, such a network of populated repositories will be a major step forward in the provision of open access materials.

As basic objectives of the project it has been agreed with JISC that the RSP should provide activities, support and advice, to achieve:

• More repositories
• More content in repositories
• More use of content by researchers

Project Methodology

The project will be led by the Centre for Research Communications at the University of Nottingham.

Although some institutions are in the advanced stages of establishing well managed repositories the deployment of repositories is still patchy and many institutions do not have the expertise, resources or confidence to address the repository agenda without external encouragement and support.

Consequently, whilst there are still many interesting areas for theoretical research, the principal aim of the RSP will be to increase the pace of institutional adoption by providing practical assistance and advice based on available solutions, with an emphasis on operational issues to do with the installation, implementation and deployment of institutional repositories.

Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes

• More repositories
• More content in repositories of different types
• More use of that content by researchers
• More re-use of that content by service providers offering innovative services
• Wide-spread acceptance and use of standards-based approach to repository development and use.

The First Phase of the project ran from October 2006 until March 2009, under the Repositories and Preservation Programme (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/reppres.aspx ), and was a consortium of the University of Nottingham, University of Wales Aberystwyth, University of Southampton, and UKOLN.

The Second Phase of the project runs from March 2009 until March 2012 and is being carried out by the Centre for Research Communications at the University of Nottingham.

Lead Institution

• University of Nottingham