Accessing Content in Repositories

A key factor in understanding your institutional repository, and the benefits it offers, is to gain an awareness of searching for repository content. Most open repository content can be found by conducting a simple internet search. 'Closed' repository content may be accessed through an authenticated access mechanism. However, a number of key services have been developed to support searching across repositories. These typically utilise the OAI-PMH protocol which enables more sophisticated searching and more relevant results than is possible from general online search engines. By providing access to high-level functions that span entire networks of repositories services such as these facilitate deposit and reuse of content.

• BASE: is a multidisciplinary search engine based in Germany that allows users to search for materials in OA research repositories, OA journals and other resources worldwide. All repositories and websites are reviewed to ensure that only high quality open access scholarly resources are included in the BASE search

• OAIster: is another multidisciplinary search engine of OA research repositories, journals and other resources worldwide, based in the U.S. All repositories and websites are reviewed to ensure that only high quality open access scholarly resources are included in the OAIster search

• OpenDOAR Search: OpenDOAR uses Google to provide a simple full-text search of all repositories listed in OpenDOAR. The research repositories have been quality-checked for academic relevance

• DART-Europe: the DART-Europe search service currently provides access to theses from over 20 European institutions

• Intute Repository Search: searches across approximately 89 UK Further and Higher Education repositories. Searches may be limited to a subset of these repositories for more specific searching. These repositories include learning and teaching content as well as research.

Exporting and reusing repository data

Once a repository holds items, it may be the case that the information can be reused by other systems and for other purposes. By reusing the data already entered, cost savings may be made both for the host institutions and those accessing the data/resources. In order for the data to be reused it first needs to be exported.

Exporting the data

There are different ways that the information can typically be exported:

• OAI-PMH: The standard method for remote systems to harvest the contents of a repository is by using the Open Archives Initative's Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). This is explained fully in OAI-PMH Harvesting

• RSS: Repository content can be made available to others using RSS exporting tools. Whenever you add or modify content in your repository, your RSS feed is automatically updated and thus the changes are syndicated to all relevant parties. RSS formatting tools can then be to incorporate the repository data into the destination location

• Repository platform export tools: Each repository platform will have an export feature that allows the data to be exported. These tools will vary from platform to platform, but will typically allow the bulk export of all or some items, including their metadata and files

• Custom tools: If you have specific requirements that cannot be fulfilled by either OAI-PMH or the standard export tools, with suitable development effort you may be able to export the data in a different manner

Whichever way data is exported for reuse, it is likely that some data manipulation scripts or effort will be required to convert the data into the required format.

Uses for the data

There could be many different uses for the data contained within a repository. Some examples include:

• Publications/bibliographic databases: Many institutions maintain publication information databases. The data held within the repository can be used to populate these

• Personal web pages and automated publication lists: Some institutions generate publications web pages for their members on the basis of content in the publications database. Repositories can support this function. Consideration needs to be given as to whether full-texts and metadata that are made available from staff home pages should link back to the repository in the first instance

• Virtual Learning Environment: The repository could be used to store and manage learning resources which can then be referenced from within the VLE. Increasingly institutions are investigating the transfer of some learning materials from the VLE to an institutional repository. This makes the content more open and accessible either within the institution or in a fully open way to the wider community (depending on policies relating to openness of learning and teaching materials).

• Marketing Systems: Directed advertising on the repository pages can attract new PhD applicants and, potentially, new staff