 |
 |
Hi Matthew, Leaving aside for now the touchy issue of definitions of "repository" ... (and discussing definitions across domains is always fun isn't it?) ... Matthew J. Dovey wrote: >I think the only common theme is that a "repository" is defined as much >by its use as by its contents e.g. an e-learning repository primary >objective is typically re-use rather than preservation; an archival >repository on the other hand is often more focused on long term >preservation than allowing the use of the data (indeed may not >necessarily have any delivery component); an experimental data >repository might be focused on enabling validation of experiments; a >pre-prints archive on pre-publication peer review resulting in >improvements to the published article; a post-publication repository in >preserving the article etc. (and this list is by no means exhaustive). > >I think a pertinent question is whether there is enough commonality >between all the things which have picked up the "repository" >nomenclature to justify attempting to view these as aspects of the same >thing, or as completely different things with similar names! > > I think that is a good discussion point, and I will respond in a way that is probably completely predictable: as perhaps we have already seen from this list, there are certainly common issues across many of these repository types that make it fruitful for us to discuss across them, e.g. encouraging and supporting population and use of a repository; metadata workflows and quality; version control; preservation; granularity of objects in a repository; managing IPR, etc etc (things I'm sure everyone here is very familiar with). I know that such fruitful interactions already began years ago in other places such as the CETIS Metadata & Digital Repositories SIG list which is primarily for those interested in repositories for e-learning, but where much has been learnt since people from other domains started taking part. I also think that none of the types and uses you list are always going to be completely mutually exclusive and will often be able to make use of similar services and standards in some areas... I could go on at length here about the need to develop typologies of repositories, typologies of communities using repositories, ecology of repository services (see http://www.ecdl2004.org/presentations/mclean/ ) but I don't really have time today- suffice to say that this is an area that the JISC Digital Repositories Programme is interested in, along with how repository services fit into the wider eFramework (http://www.e-framework.org/ ).. I think the usefulness of all this is about sharing experience and knowledge across domains as well as things like technical and semantic interoperability. So, I hope that people will continue to use this list for such discussions, remembering that, as Etienne Wenger said in his closing keynote at ALT-C last year, when you are talking across boundaries (imagine strong (Swiss) French accent with shrug): sometimes "it 'urts" and sometimes it is "very intense" but that this is where all the good stuff happens. Speech over! :-) Will try and keep my head down for the rest of the day, I have other work to do! Sarah -- ******************************************* Ms. Sarah Currier Project Manager, Community Dimensions of LO Repositories (CD-LOR) http://www.ic-learning.dundee.ac.uk/projects/CD-LOR/ Support Officer, JISC Digital Repositories Programme (CETIS) http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/repositories/digirep/ http://www.cetis.ac.uk/ Centre for Academic Practice and Learning Enhancement University of Strathclyde Graham Hills Building, 50 George Street Glasgow G1 1QE, Scotland, United Kingdom Tel.: +44 (0)141 548 4573 Fax: +44 (0)141 553 2053 E-mail: [log in to unmask] Mob.: +44 (0)7980 855 801 *******************************************