BIOMED CENTRAL PLANS OPEN REPOSITORY
In response to calls from policy makers on both sides of the Atlantic, London-based BioMed Central is planning an Open Repository service that will offer institutions professional help in the setting up and maintenance of their own repositories. Open Repository will charge a set-up fee to build a custom repository geared to the institution’s requirements, and will also take over operation and maintenance of the archive if the institution so chooses. The service will include converting documents to PDF and XML formats, and each repository will encompass advanced search features and links to central databases such as PubMed and CrossRef.
"Institutional repositories have great potential for opening up the scientific literature," says BioMed publisher Jan Velterop. "Their potential, however, will only be fully realized if those repositories are set up well and in such a way that their content is truly freely accessible, which involves adherence to established formatting and metadata standards as well as linking to, and embedding in, the worldwide network of science literature. We already do this for our own journals." BioMed Central currently publishes more than 100 journals, all of which are Open Access, as well as information services such as Open Access Now.
(BioMed Central 13 Sep 2004) <http://www.biomedcentral.com/openaccess/news/?issue=20>
ShelfLife, No. 176: September 30, 2004
