Activities

At the COAR General Assembly in Madrid in March 2010, five core objectives were identified to facilitate the further development of a global network of repositories. Three working groups were formed in order to pursue these objectives. The working groups began by setting priorities and launching concrete action plans for the period of 2010/11. The activities are expected to create the best possible value for all COAR members and partners.

Currently, COAR has three working groups, each with its own set of responsibilities, objectives, and related activities:

• Working Group 1 covers repository content.
  Currently, there are a number of barriers to populating repositories. These include lack of time and incentives to deposit, lack of awarness of funding agency and university policies, and confusion about publisher self-archiving policies. The aim of Working Group 1 is to address these barriers in order to assist COAR members in populationg their repositories.
• Working Group 2 covers repository interoperability.
  The objective for 2011-2012 is to facilitate a discussion on interoperability among Open Access repositories and as part of a wider e-Research infrastructure. An online forum is one component of Working Group 2’s activities. Read more about the COAR Interoperability Project, led by Working Group 2.
• Working Group 3 focuses on support structures for repository networks and training for repository managers.
  The objective of Working Group 3 is to support regional and national repository initiatives and to promote the repository manager profession.

If you would like to become active in one of COAR’s working groups, please contact the COAR office or the corresponding chair of the working group.