Institutional repositories as tools to enhance research visibility and leverage SDGs

Abstract

Institutional repositories are digital platforms in which institutions archive, manage and disseminate scholarly outputs within and beyond. The repositories leverage the knowledge to advance research and development (R&D), and innovation. The 2015 National Research Foundation (NRF) statement on Open Access states that, “the data supporting the publication should be deposited in a trusted open access repository, with the provision of a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for future citation and referencing.” In supporting the NRF open access mandate, the South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and research institutions implemented the repositories such as open source and/or proprietary. Academic libraries as knowledge hubs are well positioned to ensure discoverability and retrieval of information, scholarly outputs and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Researchers need to expose their work by publishing in a repository and use appropriate tools to enhance research visibility and impact for wider audience. When the research is discoverable, it has societal impact such as advancing knowledge, informing policy, or solving real-world problems. Therefore, the visibility makes libraries one of the key partners and contributors in achieving United Nations SDGs. This also shows that libraries are also contributors to the global knowledge economy and the advocators of the Open Science movement and knowledge equity.