OSF Preprints | Global Open Access Repository Infrastructure: Development, Impact, Trends, and Implications for Higher Education

Abstract:  This study examines the global landscape of Open Access Repositories (OAR) at the national level, drawing on data from the Open Directory of Open Access Repositories and the Registry of Open Access Repositories. The development of transparent OAR infrastructures is analyzed as a reflection of the Open Access (OA) strategy taken and OA infrastructure development. Repository distribution is quantitatively assessed by country and contextualized using metrics such as the number of HE researchers, GDP, and HERD spending. Qualitative part of the research supported by empirical research highlights the impact of OARs’ on the three missions of the university. Trends toward decentralized and institution-driven OAR models are being identified, suggesting a transition toward a polycentric global framework of scientific communication and indicating a potential shift towards noncommercial, academia owned, repository-based Green Open Access for maximizing sustainable institutional agency and democratization of knowledge.