Open access repositories are increasingly connected through thematic, national, and regional networks, which build important services on top of content such as discovery, enhancement and analytics.

Repository networks differ in their scope, operations and functionalities, and they often have distinct requirements based on their specific user communities and jurisdictions. However, in order to support the global nature of research, it is important that the networks have some level of interoperability. Collaboration and dialogue between networks, therefore, is critical.

COAR is working to foster greater cooperation between repository networks by identifying common principles and areas of collaboration that can lead to concrete actions and the development of global services. The aim is to ensure a general level of interoperability, while still supporting the unique functions and use cases of each network.

The COAR Aggregator Working Group is also collecting profiles of repository aggregators which will be published on the COAR website in February 2021. The Working Group also convenes meetings of the repository aggregators to support information sharing.