Ireland's Vision for a Unified Open Repository Network from Open Repositories 2024
The Open Repositories 2024 conference showcased significant advancements in the world of open scholarly publishing. This year's conference provided a platform for discussing various transformative initiatives, focusing on the COAR Notify protocol, RAID Persistent Identifiers (PIDs), and rights retention. One of the highlights for us was the opportunity to present Ireland's vision for a unified and connected open repository network. This forms part of the National Open Research Forum (NORF) Open Access Repositories Project. Our recent publications detail these efforts:
The COAR Notify protocol is designed to improve interoperability among different repository systems, allowing real-time notifications and updates. This protocol helps solve the problem of fragmented scholarly communication by ensuring a smooth flow of information between repositories, publishers, and other platforms. It promotes a decentralised approach to technology with a centralised focus on community and national networks.
The RAID PID workshop discussed the importance of Persistent Identifiers in tracking research activities. PIDs help in maintaining the integrity and traceability of research outputs. Integrating these identifiers with protocols like COAR Notify can significantly enhance the visibility and impact of research.
Another critical discussion was on rights retention strategies. This topic is vital for ensuring that authors retain certain rights over their published works. By adopting rights retention policies, researchers can ensure their work remains accessible and reusable, contributing to the broader open access movement.
OpenAIRE presented plans to streamline guidelines to improve compliance and integration with existing repository systems. These guidelines will help enhance the interoperability and discoverability of research outputs by aligning with international standards.
This conference shows the power of collective action and shared vision in transforming the future of scholarly publishing. The insights gained from Open Repositories 2024 will play a crucial role in shaping a more open and connected research landscape, aligning with Ireland’s ambitious goals for its repository network.
For more information on the Open Repositories 2024 conference, visit the official conference website.
Joy, C., Ronan, S., & Loughnane, C. (2024, July 5). Building Community to Coordinate Ireland's Fragmented Open Repository Network. Open Repositories 2024 (OR2024), Gothenburg, Sweden. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12664601
Loughnane, C., Joy, C., Callaghan, F., Ronan, S., Schmidt-Supprian, C., Drohan, A., Ó Doibhlin, D., Holden, D., Harnett, S., Connell, B., Simpson, A., Manning, P., Derven, C., & Brennan, N. (2024). Advancing Ireland's Open Repository Landscape: A Strategic Roadmap. University of Galway. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10810233
Loughnane, C., Joy, C., Callaghan, F., Ronan, S., Schmidt-Supprian, C., Drohan, A., Ó Doibhlin, D., Holdan, D., Harnett, S., Connell, B., Simpson, A., Manning, P., Derven, C., & Brennan, N. (2023). Advancing Open Repositories in Ireland: A Survey and Strategic Recommendations for National Progress. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10390626
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Post created by Cillian Joy who works as the Head of Open and Digital Research at the University of Galway Library. Cillian aims to create a fair and sustainable publishing system using national or institutional resources. He is passionate about data, open publishing, and technology. Cillian collaborates with researchers, librarians, and policymakers to develop and promote open research, open access, and digital research and archives, striving to improve how research is shared and used for societal benefit.
Loughnane, C., Joy, C., Callaghan, F., Ronan, S., Schmidt-Supprian, C., Drohan, A., Ó Doibhlin, D., Holden, D., Harnett, S., Connell, B., Simpson, A., Manning, P., Derven, C., & Brennan, N. (2024). Advancing Ireland's Open Repository Landscape: A Strategic Roadmap. University of Galway. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10810233
Loughnane, C., Joy, C., Callaghan, F., Ronan, S., Schmidt-Supprian, C., Drohan, A., Ó Doibhlin, D., Holdan, D., Harnett, S., Connell, B., Simpson, A., Manning, P., Derven, C., & Brennan, N. (2023). Advancing Open Repositories in Ireland: A Survey and Strategic Recommendations for National Progress. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10390626
Below are insights from our work and key themes from other important sessions.
Loughnane, C., Joy, C., Callaghan, F., Ronan, S., Schmidt-Supprian, C., Drohan, A., Ó Doibhlin, D., Holdan, D., Harnett, S., Connell, B., Simpson, A., Manning, P., Derven, C., & Brennan, N. (2023). Advancing Open Repositories in Ireland: A Survey and Strategic Recommendations for National Progress. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10390626
Below are insights from our work and key themes from other important sessions.
Ireland’s Vision for a Unified Open Repository Network
Our presentation at the conference was about the national project in Ireland to strengthen and align the fragmented open repository network. The goal is to transition from a fragmented system to a unified national repository network. This project falls under the National Action Plan for Open Research 2022-2030 and focuses on three main themes: culture, open access, and data.Our strategy involves reviewing current practices and aligning them with international standards. We emphasise improving metadata quality to ensure research outputs are easily discoverable. Engaging stakeholders through surveys, interviews, and discussions is crucial. Implementing technical standards and fostering a sense of community are key to supporting this transition.
Building a robust national community is central to this strategy. The long-term vision for Ireland’s open repositories includes using protocols like COAR Notify for seamless integration and global communication. This project addresses both technical and community alignment to ensure sustainability and broad acceptance.
Read more: Joy, C., Ronan, S., & Loughnane, C. (2024, July 5). Building Community to Coordinate Ireland's Fragmented Open Repository Network. Open Repositories 2024 (OR2024), Gothenburg, Sweden. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12664601
Key Themes from Other Talks
The conference featured several important themes and discussions that complement Ireland's vision for a unified repository network.The COAR Notify protocol is designed to improve interoperability among different repository systems, allowing real-time notifications and updates. This protocol helps solve the problem of fragmented scholarly communication by ensuring a smooth flow of information between repositories, publishers, and other platforms. It promotes a decentralised approach to technology with a centralised focus on community and national networks.
The RAID PID workshop discussed the importance of Persistent Identifiers in tracking research activities. PIDs help in maintaining the integrity and traceability of research outputs. Integrating these identifiers with protocols like COAR Notify can significantly enhance the visibility and impact of research.
Another critical discussion was on rights retention strategies. This topic is vital for ensuring that authors retain certain rights over their published works. By adopting rights retention policies, researchers can ensure their work remains accessible and reusable, contributing to the broader open access movement.
OpenAIRE presented plans to streamline guidelines to improve compliance and integration with existing repository systems. These guidelines will help enhance the interoperability and discoverability of research outputs by aligning with international standards.
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| COAR Notify Initiative. Retrieved from https://coar-repositories.org/what-we-do/notify/ |
Conclusion
The Open Repositories 2024 conference highlighted the importance of collaboration, standardisation, and innovation in advancing open publishing. The presentation on Ireland’s vision for a unified repository network aligned well with the broader themes discussed at the conference. The COAR Notify protocol, RAID PIDs, and rights retention strategies are crucial developments that will help create a more equitable and sustainable scholarly communication system.This conference shows the power of collective action and shared vision in transforming the future of scholarly publishing. The insights gained from Open Repositories 2024 will play a crucial role in shaping a more open and connected research landscape, aligning with Ireland’s ambitious goals for its repository network.
For more information on the Open Repositories 2024 conference, visit the official conference website.
See also
Attending CONUL 2024 in Belfast to give a talk on ‘Building Community to Coordinate Ireland’s Fragmented Open Repository Network’Joy, C., Ronan, S., & Loughnane, C. (2024, July 5). Building Community to Coordinate Ireland's Fragmented Open Repository Network. Open Repositories 2024 (OR2024), Gothenburg, Sweden. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12664601
Loughnane, C., Joy, C., Callaghan, F., Ronan, S., Schmidt-Supprian, C., Drohan, A., Ó Doibhlin, D., Holden, D., Harnett, S., Connell, B., Simpson, A., Manning, P., Derven, C., & Brennan, N. (2024). Advancing Ireland's Open Repository Landscape: A Strategic Roadmap. University of Galway. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10810233
Loughnane, C., Joy, C., Callaghan, F., Ronan, S., Schmidt-Supprian, C., Drohan, A., Ó Doibhlin, D., Holdan, D., Harnett, S., Connell, B., Simpson, A., Manning, P., Derven, C., & Brennan, N. (2023). Advancing Open Repositories in Ireland: A Survey and Strategic Recommendations for National Progress. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10390626
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