Generalizing the Subject Repository: An Investigation into Potential Best Practices

"Subject repositories serve a similar function within their disciplines, but they often evolve in radically different ways from inside their respective fields. When the largest subject repositories such as PubMed Central, CiteSeerX, arXiv, RePEc, SSRN, and AgEcon Search are examined, there are more differences than similarities in terms of sustainability models, software, users, and management. These repositories have developed in relative isolation, all catering to specific disciplinary cultures. While the success of these repositories should be celebrated, there is a great need to develop general best practices and standards for the building and management of subject repositories...."