Partnering on Copyright

According to SHERPA, ‘In the short term, the costs of setting up OA repositories are minimal. Universities already have a good IT infrastructure in place [and] the connection cost and use of repositories is absorbed within existing overheads, so accessing the material is effectively free.’ The software needed to set up an IR can be downloaded free from the internet. One example is the Eprints.org software.

Creating a business plan
Although setting up an IR is relatively inexpensive, there are still running costs associated with establishing one, such as those incurred for staff and advocacy initiatives. It is, therefore, beneficial to look at how the IR would be sustained financially and how it would be maintained in future. To help ensure an IR is successful, it would need investment, not just of time and effort, but also funds.

In order to plan for the long-term, a cost model would need to be created for the repository. One example is that of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for their ‘DSpace’ repository. In this instance charges have been put in place for the more specialised IR services that they offer.

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