Community Consultation
The Community Consultation period is now closed. We will be processing all feedback received to revise and finalize the vision. Thank you for your contributions.
Draft Strategic Vision for U.S. Repositories Open for Community Consultation
COAR and SPARC are seeking comment from the repository community on a draft strategic vision for U.S. repositories. The strategic vision is intended to be aspirational yet achievable over time through active community collaboration within the U.S. Repository Network. This Network is envisioned as inclusive of all U.S. repositories rather than as a membership-based organization. The process for reaching this draft vision is outlined in the U.S Repository Network Initiative Progress Report. This public comment phase is the final step before finalizing the strategic vision. Please contribute your comments by May 13, 2022.
How can feedback be submitted?
- Submit comments via this platform on the Strategic Vision page
- Submit comments via this Google Form.
In addition to welcoming written comments, two live consultation sessions will also be offered via Zoom. Join these sessions to discuss the draft Strategic Vision live with other community members. Click the links below to register:
Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern
Friday, May 6, 2022, 10:00-11:00am Eastern
What kind of feedback is most helpful?
The goal is to develop a Strategic Vision that clearly and accurately captures the shared values of the U.S. repository community. Some questions to consider while reading are:
- Is the document written in a clear and concise way?
- Does the document accurately capture the values and goals of the repository community?
- Are there any important themes missing or under-emphasized?
Please provide your comments on the Strategic Vision page.


Recent Comments in this Document
May 13, 2022 at 7:22 pm
Full support. However, as noted in the 4th VisionElement of Table 1 in the Report, “It’s important to note that while repositories ensure a more equitable and inclusive landscape, not every researcher has access to a repository.” The strategic vision shift from a vision for a US Repository Network to a Network of US Repositories. While a small change in language, it seems to suggest that this work will focus on existing repositories. Some clarity around this issue would be helpful.
See in context
May 13, 2022 at 5:57 pm
I agree. I think a separate section with a variety of real use cases benefitting both scholars and repository managers would be helpful.
See in context
May 13, 2022 at 5:55 pm
It would be great to have an additional “Foundational Characteristic” that highlights the importance of supporting the continually changing needs and practices of scholars across all disciplines.
See in context
May 12, 2022 at 11:52 pm
Is it worth referencing FAIR principles, just to ensure consistency across the globe? https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/
See in context
May 12, 2022 at 11:49 pm
By acting collectively, repositories can standardize content and metadata, leading to a more uniform environment from which Open Access aggregators such as CORE (https://core.ac.uk/ ) can harvest content and present US IR repository content consistently to the world.
See in context
May 12, 2022 at 11:43 pm
Perhaps the ‘why’ could be addressed here.
I think reference to stakeholders is important, and perhaps more concrete wording around ‘crucial role’. To me, the phrase isn’t strong enough, and outcomes are not addressed as concretely as they might be. Perhaps:
Leave a comment on paragraph 23An interoperable network of repositories is an essential component of our national research infrastructure, offering seamless and open access by the global community to research. By working together, U.S. repositories will also play a crucial role in the collective effort to transform global research communication and therefore outcomes into a more open and equitable system.
See in context
May 12, 2022 at 3:28 am
It has been pointed out that the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data principles can be applied to scholarly communication in general. Would it be appropriate to incorporate them into the characteristics of the repositories and the available contents in the U.S. Repository Network?
See in context
May 12, 2022 at 3:15 am
There are different stakeholders in the landscape of (institutional) repositories. I think it would be beneficial to think about how the stakeholders can enable (or hinder) the collaboration among repositories in terms of technical, metadata, and other standards.
See in context
May 11, 2022 at 9:28 pm
I have a problem with the example presented and where it is presented. It is so far the only example given in this introductory part. It is very specific, and doesn’t fit with the rest of the document. The rest of the document is very top level stuff, where-as this example is a specific suggestion to the community of a coarse of action. It feels tacked on. I believe this section would be stronger without the sample.
See in context
May 11, 2022 at 9:21 pm
I can see what you mean. It might be more clearly written in two sentences.
“They allow users to track outputs. They support…” And then list the things that it supports.
See in context