Narrative Review on Open Access Institutional Repositories and Knowledge Sharing in South Africa

However, there are challenges that need to be addressed. Many researchers are not familiar with OAIRs and may be hesitant to use them, so they require training and support to take full advantage of these platforms. Funding for OAIRs is often insufficient, and alternative funding models and government support are needed. Furthermore, there is a lack of legal and policy frameworks for OAIRs, which hampers their implementation. Developing and aligning these frameworks with international standards is crucial. Additionally, the absence of a standardized platform or framework affects how easily information can be found in these repositories. Implementing indexing policies can help improve usability.

Collaboration between institutions, researchers, government, and other stakeholders is crucial to overcome these challenges. It is necessary to establish best practices and guidelines for using OAIRs, provide training and support to researchers, secure adequate funding, and develop legal and policy frameworks. By addressing these issues, the academic community in South Africa can benefit greatly from OAIRs in terms of research visibility, collaboration, and access to knowledge. OAIRs have the potential to greatly facilitate knowledge sharing in South Africa. While challenges exist, addressing issues of familiarity, funding, legal and policy frameworks, and standardization can lead to successful implementation. The benefits include increased research visibility, collaboration, and accessibility to scholarly literature, which contribute to the advancement of science and technology in South Africa.

It is important to establish a standardized platform or framework that is easy to use. Researchers need to be educated on self-archiving, which involves depositing their scholarly works into the repository. This can be achieved through training sessions, online tutorials, and clear instructions that address concerns about copyright, metadata requirements, and data management practices. A formal review process should be implemented to ensure the quality and accuracy of the deposited scholarly materials. Reviewers can evaluate metadata accuracy, compliance with institutional requirements, and cross-verify content to ensure its legitimacy. This helps maintain credibility and adherence to scholarly standards.

Advocacy for open access policies and institutional mandates is essential. Institutions should be encouraged to adopt open access policies, integrate open access requirements into funding agreements and academic advancement criteria, and develop legal and policy frameworks. By promoting the benefits of open access and engaging with policymakers, a culture of open access can be fostered, increasing the availability of research outputs. OAIRs have the potential to significantly contribute to knowledge sharing and dissemination in South Africa. However, challenges such as lack of awareness, technical expertise, and support need to be addressed. Initiatives like government policies, university repositories, and research institution involvement have already been implemented. Further research is needed to explore the impact of OAIRs on knowledge sharing and dissemination in South Africa.

This article originally appears in JASIST at https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24808