The publication process
Repositories
Repositories: definition and features
The StORe project glossary has a good general definition:
'A repository is a store where electronic data, databases or digital files have been deposited, usually with the intention of enabling their access or distribution over a network.' (1)
Features include the following:
- Include peer-reviewed or non peer-reviewed research.
- No limitations on types of publications or types of data, can include peer-reviewed journal articles to grey literature, data sets, theses, teaching materials.
- Potential to increase citation rates as enhances access (not limited by subscription requirements).
- Enables the research to be found indefinitely (preservation of material).
- Open access repositories becoming more and more developed; closed access repositories (repositories with the ability to make some research restricted access due to confidentiality issues) also possible.
- Open access repositories are free to use.
Issues affecting repositories
- Copyright
- Version control
- Intellectual property rights
- Lack of awareness amongst research communities
- Publishers policies on deposition of published research into repositories
Reference
1. StORe project wiki, [Online] Available from:http://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/1412 [Accessed 4th June 2008. GMT 17:00]
