The Case for Scientific Institutional
Repository: A View from the Laboratory
Cecelia Brown & June Abbas
7/12/09 ACRL-STS, ALA, Chicago, IL, 2009 1

Benefits of an IR
Functions Outcomes
Makes it easier to demonstrate an institution’s scientific,
Concentrates intellectual capital…
social, and financial value
Removes physical page & formatting constraints… Enhances the visibility of an institution’s scholarly work
Breaks down spatial boundaries… Facilitates collaborations among an institution’s scholars
Encourages partnerships with scholars beyond the home
Removes geographical limits…
institution
Ensures the long-term preservation of an institution’s
Centrally assumes digital archiving functions…
scholarly works beyond scholars’ careers
Gives scholars time to devote to research and creative
Provides resources and expertise in digitization…
activities
Provides access to learning objects… Enhances classroom teaching
Crow, Raym. 2002. The case for institutional repositories: A SPARC position paper. ARL bimonthly report 223.
Washington DC: The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition. http://www.arl.org/resources/pubs/br/2002br.shtml
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If we build it, will they come?
No matter how much you Google map the ballfield, it's still 90 feet to the plate!
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Participants
Field Rank Years @ OU
Astronomy Professor 19
Astronomy Professor 25
Botany Professor 0.5
Botany Professor 11
Botany Professor 22
Geographic Sciences Assistant Professor 2
Geographic Sciences Associate Professor 13
Geographic Sciences Professor 14
Geographic Sciences Professor 9
Geology Assistant Professor 1.5
Geology Assistant Professor 1.5
Geology Assistant Professor 11
Geology Professor 13
Meteorology Associate Professor 18
Meteorology Associate Professor 4
Microbiology Professor 10
Zoology Associate Professor 8
Zoology Associate Professor 4
Zoology Professor 9
Zoology/Botany Associate Professor 12
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Knowledge of IRs
50% Maybe 50% No
“Anything on the OU Library website?” “…not heard of in the context of
universities…”
“In concept…” “You tell me…”
“Academic Facebook?” “nuclear waste repository?”
“arXiv.org?” “know about databases and I know about
finding articles online
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NGC 7293
http://www.williams.edu/Astronomy/research/PN/nebulae/
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“NASA called up and asked us to validate their data…This is
kids with buckets…”
http://pacrain.evac.ou.edu/
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http://csa.ou.edu/
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http://www.ou.edu/microarray/
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http://www.oklahomaplantdatabase.org/
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Websites Regularly Used
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“I haven't picked up a journal in years…If it's not in
astro-ph I won't see it…I check it every day…So if you
don't post on astro-ph most people won't read it…”
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100% Support!
Share data, course materials, and information*****
Learn what others at OU are doing****
Data back-up****
Promote OU***
Education and outreach**
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Concerns About Establishing an OU IR
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What would you contribute?
Students’ work*****
Publications***
Teaching materials****
Data**
Information about current activities*
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Intellectual Property Concerns
30% No 70% Have Concerns
“have a hard enough time getting “only rich people can publish”
astronomers to read one.”
“not sharing, counter view of “no data until published”
science”
“I don’t do any sort of research that “If there is something sensitive…and
have the potential to be patented.” some is competing, we won’t make
public”
“if it helps someone…that’s OK too” “sometimes do not know what
people motives and agendas are”
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As a contributor to the IR, what would you be
willing to do?
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What materials would you look for in the OU IR?
Teaching materials*****
People/Collaboration****
Data***
Publications**
Other students’ work**
No use*
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Desired Features?
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Web Tracking?
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Surprises?
• Educational opportunity
• Copyright awareness
• Wealth of OU repositories
• Traditionalists
• Maintenance Costs
• Technology Requirements
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What’s Next?
Interviews:
– Arts & Humanities Scholars
– Social Scientists
Campus Wide Survey
Present data to administration:
– Library
– Information Technology
– Vice President for Research
– Provost
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Thanks!
Manda Overturf
Mary Parker
Jennifer Prilliman
Jenny Rempel
Konstantin Tovstiadi
Participants
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Questions?
Suggestions?
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