Developing an Academic Institutional Repository: A Case at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University

Abstract

An institutional repository is defined as an online locus for collecting, preserving, and disseminating the intellectual output of an institution in digital form, particularly a research institution (New World Encyclopedia, 2018). Generally it includes materials such as journal articles, conference papers, peer reviews, electronic versions of theses and dissertations from an academic institution. The main purpose of this study is to share the experiences of setting up an institutional repository (IR) at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) and make suggestions to overcome the challenges for sustainability of the repository. Empirical method is used with the participatory approach in this study. Furthermore, the study focuses on some key issues to be considered when developing the repository. The institutional repository of KDU library network has developed by using D-Space software and running with a separate internal server. Formulating repository policy framework, authority control, copyright issues and persuading the academic staff to deposit their publications were considered as major challenges in this study. In order to encourage research scholars to deposit their publication, librarians should follow the marketing strategies to emphasize the impotence of the institutional repository.