Supporting Repository Development with Policies: Considering different approaches for a range of purposes

Sarah Hayes, Aston University

s.hayes@aston.ac.uk

http://www.worc.ac.uk/drawproject

Worcester Research and Publications (Eprints)

CoRE (Software from City College, Coventry)

The Developing Repositories at Worcester Project (DRaW) planned to embed repository use and provide an integrated repository service for staff

This talk will discuss:- Policies at Worcester for the DRaW Project Clear brief for Eprints Research Repository (WRaP) Approach for our content repository for learning and

teaching materials (CoRE and other options) Policies on embedding support for both Some recommendations when planning policies for

learning and teaching materials repositories Open access? Well maybe…Aston developments

What were our policies at Worcester?

Initially, a plan of action, to guide decisions, but not a strict statement of procedure

Firmed up policies towards end of the DRaW Project with regard to our research repository (WRaP)

Considered a wide range of content types Awareness of the need to design appropriate

repository systems for different needs Aware of need to embed policies for support

Policies for our Eprints Research Repository (WRaP)

Visited staff and uploaded papers, prior to official launch No initial mandate, but good support from senior staff Research papers, published articles, no Powerpoints alone Emphasis on showcase, but to reflect our institutional outputs PhDs and MScs, no undergraduate materials, visiting lectures Linked with Graduate school, RAE, conference papers Deposit/take down policies towards end of project Google analytics to demonstrate good uptake Staff generally happy to upload and pleased with system

Policies for content repository for learning and teaching materials (CoRE)

Staff only access, students can’t upload Due to poor uptake, our policy of reviewing of

metadata was abandoned Staff encouraged to submit materials to collections

E.g. course handbooks, exam papers, dissertations Also video and audio files such as recorded lectures

Staff given options to choose who they would like to share with, if anyone

Changing our repository functionality

Staff can now choose the individuals they wish to allow access to their resources

“Using Repositories for Learning and Teaching: Can we find a recipe for success?”

Diglis Hotel, May 2008

http://eprints.worc.ac.uk/451/

Success of online repositories for research publications

Universities use similar systems to store and access teaching materials Tutors reluctant to use such systems

How might policies need to change?

Difference between material created by lecturers and ‘collections’ of materials

Collections stored separately – using a traditional repositories approach? Easy transfer or link between material in the VLE and repository

Minimal metadata for lecturer's own material and adopt a Web 2.0 style?

A published paper

Work in progress?

Learning Box, developed by Faroes Project

http://languagebox.eprints.org/

Some recommendations when planning policies for learning and teaching repositories

Enable a range of places to share, no one model fits all Allow for many different types of materials and outputs Apply restrictions, where necessary, copyright/IPR, sensitive materials Embrace the open resources initiative, if appropriate The use of tags, rather than metadata can help Development of Web 2.0 style repositories, rather than conventionally

structured ones Links to virtual learning environments Conventional repositories, for collections? Embed processes for the management, sharing and re-use of learning

materials and the support of repositories within universities.

“Repository Embedding Day” (RED) Our policy event to embed support

Diglis Hotel, October 2008

Whoduzit? Repository roles and tasks

Tutor supportMetadata Advocacy System updates Repositories Web page

More work needed

To develop language and terminology that can be understood by all users

To understand where there is overlap and commonalities as well as differences in repository use

On institutional policies for the retention of learning resources and copyright clarification

On institutional recognition of the resources that teaching staff produce

On optimising the benefits of re-use

Open access? Well maybe…Aston activities

Aston have Equella – flexibility being investigated JISC bid for Open Educational Resources call Collaboration with Subject Centres Looking to explore a range of solutions Explore cultural changes needed to make progress And copyright issues to be addressed Feedback findings to JISC

Thank you for listening…any questions?