COAR community groups offer a forum for members to exchange information and experiences and work on topics of common interest.
Controlled vocabularies
This group aims to develop and maintain controlled vocabularies for repositories to enhance the interoperability across repositories and with other related systems such as harvesters, CRIS systems, data repositories and publishers.
Next generation repositories (NGR) expert group
This group aims to work towards the implementation of NGR technologies, helps with profiling use cases, and continues to monitor the environment for new technologies.
We are currently not accepting new members of this group.
Research data management (RDM)
The aim of this group is to help the repository community expand their operations to support RDM. The group provides a forum for discussion about managing research data, identify best practices and strategies, and support capacity building for RDM in the repository community.
National aggregators
There is a growing number of national repository networks around the world. These networks aggregate metadata from repositories and other data sources and provide a number of services including tracking open access content, discovery of national research outputs, standardized usage statistics, and more. This group focuses on the exchange of information and experience across national networks.
(Data) Repository assessment framework
In order to expand and strengthen the current infrastructure for research data management, we need to ensure that repositories are using best practice and are interoperable with repositories internationally. While there are other existing certification schema for repositories, they are not always relevant for institutional repositories or the requirements set a very high bar and many repositories will not be able to comply with them in the near or medium-term future. The aim of this group will be to assess the current frameworks for relevance in various communities and regions, and if needed, develop a set of benchmarks/good practices for repositories that can be used as an assessment tool.
Engagement strategy for quality metadata
The aim of this group is to undertake several activities that will contribute to improving the quality, comprehensiveness and alignment of metadata in repositories internationally. While there are other efforts to improve scholarly metadata, this working group specifically targets the repository community by working with regional networks and other regional associations, who have more direct access with the local organizations managing repositories
Asia OA
Asia OA is a special forum hosted by COAR in which members of the Asian open access community can share information, meet each other and build relationships. It has a mailing list and organizes meetings to facilitate greater exchange beyond national boundaries. It celebrates Asian cultural diversity and unique way of doing things. The aim is to support information sharing through a mailing list and organize regular in-person meetings in Asian countries.
International repository directory
A comprehensive and accurate directory of repositories is an increasingly important service for repositories and other stakeholders. In order to adopt policies, undertake advocacy, and develop effective services on top of repository content, the community need an authoritative (accurate, comprehensive, up-to-date) source of information about repositories. This group aims to help define the operational and governance aspects of an international repository directory in order to improve existing IRD services.
We are currently not accepting new members of this group.
Former Groups
Former community groups which are no longer active can be found here with short descriptions as well as groups’ completed work and publications where available.