Repository policy at The University of Northampton Miggie Pickton NECTAR Repository Manager [email_address] SUETr Repository Policy Event National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth 18th February 2009

Which came first: repository or policy? Policy! We started to think about ‘policy’ before any of these: Project planning Choosing software Defining repository structure and organisation Specifying operational details And especially before gathering content

Policy!

We started to think about ‘policy’ before any of these:

Project planning

Choosing software

Defining repository structure and organisation

Specifying operational details

And especially before gathering content

Talking, talking, talking… The NECTAR project Steering Group produced a ‘ briefing sheet ’ outlining the principles which we thought should govern the repository. We talked to everyone: Research leaders, research managers, research administrators, researchers, technical folk, metadata experts, copyright experts… The university’s Research Committee A Pro Vice Chancellor A focus group of senior researchers And (of course) our colleagues in the repository community

The NECTAR project Steering Group produced a ‘ briefing sheet ’ outlining the principles which we thought should govern the repository.

We talked to everyone:

Research leaders, research managers, research administrators, researchers, technical folk, metadata experts, copyright experts…

The university’s Research Committee

A Pro Vice Chancellor

A focus group of senior researchers

And (of course) our colleagues in the repository community

OpenDOAR With agreement on the principles, we turned to policy - and we discovered the OpenDOAR policy tool The tool defines ‘minimum’ and ‘optimum’ policies for : Metadata Data Content Submission Preservation The Steering Group decided to try for the optimum policies, at least in the first instance.

With agreement on the principles, we turned to policy - and we discovered the OpenDOAR policy tool

The tool defines ‘minimum’ and ‘optimum’ policies for :

Metadata

Data

Content

Submission

Preservation

The Steering Group decided to try for the optimum policies, at least in the first instance.

More talking, talking, talking… We carried on talking: Lots of committees and research groups: University Research Committee Research Degrees Committee Readers and Professors Forum E-Strategy Programme Board School Research Groups… … and we incorporated the research community’s views into our policy and our practice.

We carried on talking:

Lots of committees and research groups:

University Research Committee

Research Degrees Committee

Readers and Professors Forum

E-Strategy Programme Board

School Research Groups…

… and we incorporated the research community’s views into our policy and our practice.

Policy and practice Of course translating our policies into practice hasn’t all been plain-sailing We don’t have much full content yet (text or other) so much of our policy has yet to be put to the test We struggle with the conflicting demands of repository users (e.g. researchers vs research managers) Sometimes pragmatism wins over policy (especially in the case of metadata vs full text) But… Because of our practice of consulting widely and regularly, we do have the support of the research community (and every reason to suppose that this will continue).

Of course translating our policies into practice hasn’t all been plain-sailing

We don’t have much full content yet (text or other) so much of our policy has yet to be put to the test

We struggle with the conflicting demands of repository users (e.g. researchers vs research managers)

Sometimes pragmatism wins over policy (especially in the case of metadata vs full text)

But…

Because of our practice of consulting widely and regularly, we do have the support of the research community (and every reason to suppose that this will continue).

URLs NECTAR http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/ NECTAR briefing sheet http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/NECTAR_briefing_sheet_200607.pdf OpenDOAR policy tool http://www.opendoar.org/tools/en/policies.php NECTAR policy http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/information.html#policies

NECTAR http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/

NECTAR briefing sheet http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/NECTAR_briefing_sheet_200607.pdf

OpenDOAR policy tool http://www.opendoar.org/tools/en/policies.php

NECTAR policy http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/information.html#policies