Institutional Repositories MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Institutional Repositories - Download Free PDF

The Correct answer is Orange.

Key Points

• Orange is an open-source data visualization, machine learning, and data mining toolkit.
• It is written primarily in Python and utilizes a component-based visual programming approach.
• Orange features a visual programming front-end for explorative data analysis and visualization.
• It includes a large set of standard and advanced data analysis tools, including machine learning algorithms, data preprocessing, and data visualization.
• Orange is particularly useful for both beginners and experienced data scientists due to its intuitive interface and powerful capabilities.
• The toolkit supports interactive data analysis workflows, which can be easily shared and reused.

 Additional Information

• Biblioshiny
  • Biblioshiny is an R-based web interface for bibliometric analysis.
  • It is designed to work with the Bibliometrix package in R.
  • Biblioshiny allows users to perform advanced bibliometric analysis through a user-friendly graphical interface.
  • It is particularly useful for researchers and scientists looking to analyze publication data and trends.
• Bibexcel
  • Bibexcel is a tool for bibliometric analysis and citation analysis.
  • It is designed to assist researchers in analyzing and visualizing bibliographic data.
  • Bibexcel is often used to identify patterns and trends in scholarly publications.
  • It is a Windows-based application and is particularly known for its flexibility and customization options.
• ScientoPy
  • ScientoPy is a Python-based tool for scientometric analysis.
  • It is used to perform scientometric and bibliometric studies on scientific literature.
  • ScientoPy allows users to analyze trends, patterns, and networks in scientific publications.
  • This tool is particularly useful for researchers and academic institutions looking to understand the impact and evolution of research topics

The Correct answer is A - III, B - I, C - IV, D - II

Key Points

• ArXiv.org:
  • Established in 1991 by Paul Ginsparg at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the ArXiv (http://www.arXiv.org/) stands as the oldest eprint archive.
  • Initially focused on theoretical high-energy physics, it expanded to cover various fields like physics, computer science, and mathematics.
  • Now hosted at Cornell University, ArXiv has revolutionized scholarly communication through its alternative model.
  • Processing 35,000 submissions annually and receiving two million weekly hits, it has a global impact, with two-thirds of its traffic originating from institutions outside the United States, including those in developing regions.
  • As a pioneer, ArXiv has inspired the creation of institutional archives and subject-based digital repositories worldwide, fostering the open-access archiving movement as an alternative to traditional scholarly publishing.
  • Notably, the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, oversees the Indian mirror site of ArXiv.
• Subversive Proposal:
  • The "Subversive Proposal," made by Stevan Harnad on June 27, 1994, called on authors of specialized research to archive their articles online for free access.
  • Initially presented at the 1994 Network Services Conference in London, it sparked a series of online discussions, later compiled into the 1995 book Scholarly Journals at the Crossroads:
  • A Subversive Proposal for Electronic Publishing.
  • This led to the creation of Cogprints in 1997, an open-access archive for cognitive sciences, and the 1998 American Scientist Open Access Forum, which later influenced the Budapest Open Access Initiative and the term "open access." 
• Open Archive Initiative:
  • ​The Open Archives Initiative (OAI), formed in the late 1990s by Herbert Van de Sompel, Carl Lagoze, Michael L. Nelson, and Simeon Warner, aimed to create interoperability standards for sharing metadata across digital archives.
  • Active for about 20 years, OAI developed key specifications like OAI-PMH, OAI-ORE, and ResourceSync.
  • The initiative focused on creating a low-barrier framework for institutional repositories and digital libraries, enabling metadata harvesting to provide value-added services by combining different datasets.
  • OAI's work has significantly contributed to enhancing access to eprint archives and supporting the open access publishing movement, with broader applications beyond scholarly publishing.
• Project Guttenberg:
  • Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works.
  • It also "encourages the creation and distribution of eBooks.
  • It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart.
  • It is the oldest digital library.
  • All files can be accessed for free under an open-format layout.
  • As of 3 October 2015, Project Gutenberg had reached 50,000 items in its collection of free eBooks.
  • Project Gutenberg is closely affiliated with Distributed Proofreaders, an Internet-based community for proofreading scanned texts.
  • Project Gutenberg is named after Johannes Gutenberg, who introduced book printing with movable type in Europe.

The Correct answer is A, C, and D only.

Key Points

• Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment: This is an open-access institutional repository focused on research in ecology and environment, making it part of the open-access repositories.
• JSTOR: JSTOR is not an open-access institutional repository; it is a digital library that provides access to academic journals, books, and primary sources, but it operates under a subscription model.
• CSIR-NISCPR online periodicals Directory: This is an open-access directory for periodicals related to research from the CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NISCPR).
• Krishikosh: Krishikosh is an open-access institutional repository specifically dedicated to agricultural research, making it an open-access repository.
• Manupatra: Manupatra is a legal research database and is not an open-access repository; it is a subscription-based service providing access to legal documents.

Additional Information

• Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE):
  • The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a renowned non-profit organisation dedicated to environmental conservation and sustainable, socially inclusive development.
  • Founded in 1996, ATREE focuses on producing and sharing interdisciplinary knowledge that addresses the needs of grassroots communities, policymakers, and the public.
  • It also prioritizes capacity-building to train the next generation of scholars.
  • ATREE’s work spans various landscapes, addressing key issues such as biodiversity conservation, water security, sustainable resource use, livelihoods, human well-being, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• JSTOR:
  • JSTOR stands for "Journal Storage" and is a digital library that was founded by William G. Bowen in 1994 in the USA in New York City as a digital library.
  • It contains digitized back issues of academic journals, books, and other primary sources as well as current issues of journals in the humanities and social sciences.
  • William G. Bowen, who served as the president of Princeton University from 1972 to 1988, established JSTOR in 1994.
  • The idea for JSTOR originated as a response to the challenges faced by libraries, particularly research and university libraries, dealing with the growing number of academic journals.
  • It provides full-text searches of journals and provides open-access content free of charge.
  • JSTOR is licensed mainly to academic institutions, public libraries, research institutions, museums, and schools.
• NOPR:
  • The CSIR-NISCPR Online Periodicals Repository (NOPR) offers complimentary access to complete articles from 17 research periodicals released by CSIR.
  • Currently, the repository hosts more than 15,766 articles.
  • Users can explore the database using various search criteria such as periodical title, article title, authors, keywords, and publication date.
•  Krishikosh:
  • Krishikosh is a customized digital repository platform for users of NARES Institutions to upload and manage their content in compliance with ICAR's open access policy.
  • Currently, Krishikosh contains over 270,000 items, including 180,000 theses from various NARES organizations.
  • Between October 2017 and February 2022, the site received 22.90 million hits, with the highest number of users from India, followed by the United States, Sudan, China, Russia, Ethiopia, Iran, Philippines, Nigeria, and Indonesia.
  • The majority of users are in the 25-34 age group, indicating a significant number of students and researchers.
• Manupatra:
  • Manupatra is India’s premier online research service for the legal community.
  • It is a comprehensive database of the law of India. 
  • Manupatra enables legal professionals to retrieve cases, statutes, and other documents from Manupatra's vast library of legal and business materials.
  • It contains federal Supreme Court decisions, state high court decisions, court rules, decisions of various administrative tribunals and commissions, federal and state statutes, rules and regulations, pending federal bills, and parliamentary committee reports.
  • It is a database of materials related to business enterprises and corporate taxation, secondary materials comprising commentaries and e-books, as well as cases and statutes from a variety of other countries, including Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, among others.
  • The online database was launched in 2001.

The Correct answer is Mendeley's advantage over Zotero is direct reference formatting on the platform

Key Points

• Mendeley and Zotero are two popular reference management tools used by researchers, academics, and students.
• Mendeley does offer extensive filtering options, which allows users to sort and manage their references effectively.
• Accessibility: Mendeley offers broader accessibility options, including desktop, web, and mobile applications, while Zotero is available as a desktop application and browser extension.
• Support System: Mendeley provides a more versatile support system including online chat, helping guides, and a blog, whereas Zotero mainly relies on its FAQ section for user support.
• The statement claiming Mendeley's advantage over Zotero is direct reference formatting on the platform is not true. Both Mendeley and Zotero offer reference formatting capabilities, allowing users to create citations and bibliographies in various styles directly within their respective platforms.

 Additional Information

• Filtering Options
  • Mendeley's extensive filtering options enable users to categorize and search their references with greater precision, which can significantly aid in managing large libraries of references.
• Accessibility
  • Zotero's availability as a desktop application and browser extension can be a limitation for users who prefer using mobile devices or require cloud-based access. Mendeley's broader accessibility options cater to a wider range of user preferences.
• Support System
  • Mendeley's comprehensive support system, including online chat and a blog, provides users with multiple resources for troubleshooting and guidance, making it a robust choice for users who may need more hands-on support.

The Correct answer is University of Nottingham.

Key Points

• OpenDOAR is a globally recognized directory of open-access repositories that ensures the quality of repositories and offers free access to academic resources.
• Established in 2005 through a collaborative effort between the University of Nottingham and Lund University, this service was made possible with funding from OSI, Jisc, SPARC Europe, and CURL.
• the University of Nottingham maintains it under the SHERPA umbrella.
• In 2015, OpenDOAR and the UK-based Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR) were recognized as the two leading global open-access directories.
• Japan is the second largest participant country.​

Additional Information

• The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ):
  • ​DOAJ is a website that houses a community-curated catalog of open-access journals. 
  • IS4OA (Infrastructure Services for Open Access) manages and maintains it.
  • OAJ was introduced in 2003, initially featuring 300 open-access journals. 
• JISC:
  • ​The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) was established on April 1, 1993, following guidance from the Secretaries of State to the newly formed Higher Education Funding Councils for England, Scotland, and Wales.
  • Its creation aimed to address networking and specialist information service needs for the higher education sector.
  • JISC inherited functions from the Information Systems Committee (ISC) and the Computer Board, extending its support to a broader range of institutions, including ex-polytechnics and higher education colleges. 
  • In 1995, the Northern Ireland Department of Education joined JISC as a full partner, and further expansion occurred in 1999 when further education funding bodies became partners. 
• Open Society Institute:
  • ​Open Society Foundations (OSF), previously known as the Open Society Institute, is a grantmaking network based in the United States and established by entrepreneur George Soros.
  • OSF provides financial support to civil society organizations globally, aiming to promote justice, education, public health, and independent media.
  • The organization draws its name from Karl Popper's book "The Open Society and Its Enemies," published in 1945.

The correct answer is Creative Commons.

Key Points  Creative Commons:

• Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that provides free, easy-to-use copyright licenses to creators. These licenses let creators share their work with others while still retaining some control over how it is used.
• Creative Commons licenses are based on copyright law, which gives creators the exclusive right to copy, distribute, perform, display, and create derivative works from their work. However, copyright law also allows creators to give others permission to use their work, and Creative Commons licenses are a way for creators to do this.
• There are six Creative Commons (CC) licenses, each specifying usage permissions granted by the content creator. While the creator retains copyright, the chosen CC license allows others to reuse the content under defined conditions.

Additional Information

• Sherpa:
  • ​SHERPA (Securing a Hybrid Environment for Research Preservation and Access) is an organization established in 2002 to oversee the SHERPA Project.
  • SHERPA was honored in 2007 with the SPARC Europe Award for Outstanding Achievements in Scholarly Communication for its contributions to open access and repositories at both national and international scales.
  • SHERPA is engaged in various projects and services, including:
    • FACT: Assists authors in adhering to open access policies of research funders.
    • SHERPA/RoMEO: Offers a comprehensive list of publishers' copyright agreements and retained author rights.
    • SHERPA/Juliet: Provides information on research funders' archiving mandates and guidelines.
    • OpenDOAR: Offers a global directory of open-access repositories.
• Derivative Creation:
  • ​In copyright law, a derivative work is a new creation that includes significant copyrightable elements from an original work.
  • The resulting derivative work is distinct from the first, taking its own form.
  • Common examples of derivative works include translations, cinematic adaptations, and musical arrangements.
• Websites creation:
  • ​Website creation refers to the process of designing, developing, and constructing a website on the Internet.
  • It involves various tasks such as planning the website's structure, layout, content, and functionality, as well as coding, graphic design, and optimizing for user experience.
  • Website creation aims to establish a digital presence for individuals, businesses, organizations, or other entities, allowing them to share information, interact with users, and provide services or products online.

The correct answer is A and D only.

Key Points

•  OpenDOAR is a globally recognized Directory of Open Access Repositories, ensuring the quality of repositories offering free access to academic resources.
• Established in 2005 through a collaborative effort between the University of Nottingham and Lund University, this service was made possible with funding from OSI, Jisc, SPARC Europe, and CURL.
• the University of Nottingham maintains it under the SHERPA umbrella.
• In 2015, OpenDOAR and the UK-based Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR) were recognized as the two leading global open-access directories.
• Japan is the second largest participant country.​

Additional Information

• The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ):
  • ​DOAJ is a website that houses a community-curated catalog of open-access journals. 
  • IS4OA (Infrastructure Services for Open Access) manages and maintains it.
  • OAJ was introduced in 2003, initially featuring 300 open-access journals. 
• Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition:
  • ​The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) is an international alliance of academic and research libraries established by the Association of Research Libraries in 1998.
  • SPARC advocates for open access to scholarly content and has around 800 member institutions across North America, Europe, Japan, China, and Australia.
• Registry of Open Access Repositories:
  • ​The Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR) is a global, searchable database that tracks the establishment, location, and expansion of open-access institutional repositories and their contents.
  • ROAR was originally developed by EPrints at the University of Southampton, UK, in 2003.
  • Initially called the Institutional Archives Registry, it was later renamed the Registry of Open Access Repositories in 2006. 

The correct answer is (A), (B) and (C) are correct:

Key Points

• The DSpace project was initiated in July 2000 as part of the HP-MIT alliance
• The first public version of DSpace was released in November 2002, as a joint effort between developers from MIT and HP Labs.
• ​Some most important features of DSpace are as follows:
  • Free open-source software.
  • Completely customizable to fit user needs.
  • Manage and preserve all formats of digital content (PDF, Word, JPEG, MPEG, TIFF files)
  • Apache SOLR-based search for metadata and full-text contents
  • UTF-8 Support
  • Interface available in 22 languages.
  • Optimized for Google Scholar indexing
  • Integration with BASE, CORE, OpenAIRE, Unpaywall, and WorldCat.
• The DSpace Foundation was formed in 2007 as a non-profit organization to provide support to the growing community of institutions that use DSpace.

Additional InformationSome Examples of Institutional Repositories software:

• Archimede: Developed by Laval University Library in Quebec City, Canada.
• CDSware: The CERN Document Server Software (CDSware) is maintained and made publicly available by CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research.
• Greenstone: The Greenstone Digital Library (GSDL) software is developed by the University of Waikato.
• Fedora: It is developed at Cornell University and
  the University of Virginia.
• E-prints: Developed at the University of Southampton, the first version of the system was publicly released
  in late 2000.
• MyCoRe: MyCoRe grew out of the MILESS project of the University of Essen.

The Correct answer is Humanities.

Key Points

• arXiv is an electronic repository of preprints and post-prints in various scientific fields, offering open access to a wide range of research papers.
• Paul Ginsparg founded arXiv in 1991, and the repository is presently managed and overseen by Cornell Tech.
• arXiv presently caters to a wide range of disciplines including physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance, statistics, electrical engineering, systems science, and economics.
• The primary means of accessing arXiv is through the arXiv.org website or one of its various mirror sites.
• Additional interfaces and access pathways have been developed by unrelated organizations.
• The metadata for arXiv is accessible through OAI-PMH, the standard for open-access repositories.
• Consequently, the content is indexed by major consumers of such data, including BASE, CORE, and Unpaywall.

The Correct answer is C, B, A, D.

Key Points

• GSDL:
  • The Greenstone Digital Library (GSDL) software is developed by the University of Waikato.
  • Greenstone is issued under the terms of the GNU General Public License. It originated in 1996.
  • Greenstone users employ the “Librarian” interface to create and maintain digital library collections
• E-Prints
  • EPrints is a free and open-source software package for building open-access repositories.
  • It was developed by the University of Southampton and released under GNU (General Public License) in 2000
  • It runs on Unix machines and Apache, MySQL database.
  • Perl language is necessary for its installation and operation. 
• ​Dspace:
  • It is an open-source repository software that can manage and preserve all types of digital content, it was initially released in 2002.
  • The DSpace interface is available in 22 languages.
  • It is most widely used as the institutional repository in the digital library.
• Omeka:
  • ​Omeka, also referred to as Omeka Classic is a free and open-source content management system designed for creating and managing online digital collections.
  • It operates as a web application, enabling users to publish and showcase cultural heritage artifacts while offering the flexibility to enhance its features through themes and plugins. 
  • Omeka, initially created by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University was released on February 21, 2008.
  • Since 2016, the Omeka project has been carried forward by the non-profit Corporation for Digital Scholarship.

Additional Information

• Fedora-
  • Fedora Linux is a Linux distribution developed by the Fedora Project in 2003
  • Fedora is a compilation of software packages, each under its own license
  • The Fedora Project is a community of people working together to build a free and open-source software platform and to collaborate on and share user-focused solutions built on that platform.
• Islandora:
  • ​Islandora is an open-source software framework initially created by the University of Prince Edward Island's Robertson Library in 2006.
  • Its purpose is to facilitate collaborative management and discovery of digital assets by institutions, organizations, and their audiences, all within a best-practices framework.
  • Today, Islandora benefits from contributions and implementations by a continually expanding global community.

The Correct answer is A, C, and D only.

Key Points

• Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment: This is an open-access institutional repository focused on research in ecology and environment, making it part of the open-access repositories.
• JSTOR: JSTOR is not an open-access institutional repository; it is a digital library that provides access to academic journals, books, and primary sources, but it operates under a subscription model.
• CSIR-NISCPR online periodicals Directory: This is an open-access directory for periodicals related to research from the CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NISCPR).
• Krishikosh: Krishikosh is an open-access institutional repository specifically dedicated to agricultural research, making it an open-access repository.
• Manupatra: Manupatra is a legal research database and is not an open-access repository; it is a subscription-based service providing access to legal documents.

Additional Information

• Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE):
  • The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a renowned non-profit organisation dedicated to environmental conservation and sustainable, socially inclusive development.
  • Founded in 1996, ATREE focuses on producing and sharing interdisciplinary knowledge that addresses the needs of grassroots communities, policymakers, and the public.
  • It also prioritizes capacity-building to train the next generation of scholars.
  • ATREE’s work spans various landscapes, addressing key issues such as biodiversity conservation, water security, sustainable resource use, livelihoods, human well-being, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• JSTOR:
  • JSTOR stands for "Journal Storage" and is a digital library that was founded by William G. Bowen in 1994 in the USA in New York City as a digital library.
  • It contains digitized back issues of academic journals, books, and other primary sources as well as current issues of journals in the humanities and social sciences.
  • William G. Bowen, who served as the president of Princeton University from 1972 to 1988, established JSTOR in 1994.
  • The idea for JSTOR originated as a response to the challenges faced by libraries, particularly research and university libraries, dealing with the growing number of academic journals.
  • It provides full-text searches of journals and provides open-access content free of charge.
  • JSTOR is licensed mainly to academic institutions, public libraries, research institutions, museums, and schools.
• NOPR:
  • The CSIR-NISCPR Online Periodicals Repository (NOPR) offers complimentary access to complete articles from 17 research periodicals released by CSIR.
  • Currently, the repository hosts more than 15,766 articles.
  • Users can explore the database using various search criteria such as periodical title, article title, authors, keywords, and publication date.
•  Krishikosh:
  • Krishikosh is a customized digital repository platform for users of NARES Institutions to upload and manage their content in compliance with ICAR's open access policy.
  • Currently, Krishikosh contains over 270,000 items, including 180,000 theses from various NARES organizations.
  • Between October 2017 and February 2022, the site received 22.90 million hits, with the highest number of users from India, followed by the United States, Sudan, China, Russia, Ethiopia, Iran, Philippines, Nigeria, and Indonesia.
  • The majority of users are in the 25-34 age group, indicating a significant number of students and researchers.
• Manupatra:
  • Manupatra is India’s premier online research service for the legal community.
  • It is a comprehensive database of the law of India. 
  • Manupatra enables legal professionals to retrieve cases, statutes, and other documents from Manupatra's vast library of legal and business materials.
  • It contains federal Supreme Court decisions, state high court decisions, court rules, decisions of various administrative tribunals and commissions, federal and state statutes, rules and regulations, pending federal bills, and parliamentary committee reports.
  • It is a database of materials related to business enterprises and corporate taxation, secondary materials comprising commentaries and e-books, as well as cases and statutes from a variety of other countries, including Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, among others.
  • The online database was launched in 2001.

The Correct answer is ​(C), (D), (B), (A).

Key Points

• JISC:
  • ​The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) was established on April 1, 1993, following guidance from the Secretaries of State to the newly formed Higher Education Funding Councils for England, Scotland, and Wales.
  • Its creation aimed to address networking and specialist information service needs for the higher education sector.
  • JISC inherited functions from the Information Systems Committee (ISC) and the Computer Board, extending its support to a broader range of institutions, including ex-polytechnics and higher education colleges. 
  • In 1995, the Northern Ireland Department of Education joined JISC as a full partner, and further expansion occurred in 1999 when further education funding bodies became partners. 
  • In 2012, JISC transitioned into an independent not-for-profit charity, primarily funded by the government and universities, and it rebranded itself as Jisc.
  • In 2019, Jisc underwent a merger with Eduserv.
  • In 2020, Jisc merged with HECSU, a career information and advice service.
• SciCentral:
  • ​Since 1997, the SciCentral editors have curated and compiled cutting-edge research news from highly reputable sources.
  • Recognized with over 30 web awards and praised by prominent science publishers like Science Magazine, The Lancet, and The New Scientist, SciCentral has gained a reputation for its high-quality service.
  • With endorsements from over 700 websites, SciCentral is widely acknowledged as a trusted information source.
• PLOS:
  • PLOS, which stands for Public Library of Science (formerly PLoS until 2012), is a nonprofit publisher that specializes in open-access journals covering various fields such as science, technology, medicine, and other scientific literature.
  • Operating under an open-content license, PLOS was established in 2000 and introduced its inaugural journal, PLOS Biology, in October 2003.
  • PLOS journals are featured in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). 
  • The organization is actively involved in initiatives supporting open access, including being a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), participating in the Initiative for Open Citations, and holding membership in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
• Intute:
  • ​Intute, a free web service catering to students, teachers, and researchers in UK further and higher education, originated in July 2006 through the amalgamation of eight semi-autonomous "hubs" constituting the Resource Discovery Network (RDN).
  • These hubs specialized in various academic disciplines, such as Altis for hospitality, leisure, sport, and tourism, and Artifact for arts and creative industries.
  • Unfortunately, funding ceased in 2011, leading to the closure of the Intute site.
  • A partial archive of the Intute library is now accessible at XtLearn.net.

The Correct answer is A - III, B - I, C - IV, D - II

Key Points

• ArXiv.org:
  • Established in 1991 by Paul Ginsparg at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the ArXiv (http://www.arXiv.org/) stands as the oldest eprint archive.
  • Initially focused on theoretical high-energy physics, it expanded to cover various fields like physics, computer science, and mathematics.
  • Now hosted at Cornell University, ArXiv has revolutionized scholarly communication through its alternative model.
  • Processing 35,000 submissions annually and receiving two million weekly hits, it has a global impact, with two-thirds of its traffic originating from institutions outside the United States, including those in developing regions.
  • As a pioneer, ArXiv has inspired the creation of institutional archives and subject-based digital repositories worldwide, fostering the open-access archiving movement as an alternative to traditional scholarly publishing.
  • Notably, the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, oversees the Indian mirror site of ArXiv.
• Subversive Proposal:
  • The "Subversive Proposal," made by Stevan Harnad on June 27, 1994, called on authors of specialized research to archive their articles online for free access.
  • Initially presented at the 1994 Network Services Conference in London, it sparked a series of online discussions, later compiled into the 1995 book Scholarly Journals at the Crossroads:
  • A Subversive Proposal for Electronic Publishing.
  • This led to the creation of Cogprints in 1997, an open-access archive for cognitive sciences, and the 1998 American Scientist Open Access Forum, which later influenced the Budapest Open Access Initiative and the term "open access." 
• Open Archive Initiative:
  • ​The Open Archives Initiative (OAI), formed in the late 1990s by Herbert Van de Sompel, Carl Lagoze, Michael L. Nelson, and Simeon Warner, aimed to create interoperability standards for sharing metadata across digital archives.
  • Active for about 20 years, OAI developed key specifications like OAI-PMH, OAI-ORE, and ResourceSync.
  • The initiative focused on creating a low-barrier framework for institutional repositories and digital libraries, enabling metadata harvesting to provide value-added services by combining different datasets.
  • OAI's work has significantly contributed to enhancing access to eprint archives and supporting the open access publishing movement, with broader applications beyond scholarly publishing.
• Project Guttenberg:
  • Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works.
  • It also "encourages the creation and distribution of eBooks.
  • It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart.
  • It is the oldest digital library.
  • All files can be accessed for free under an open-format layout.
  • As of 3 October 2015, Project Gutenberg had reached 50,000 items in its collection of free eBooks.
  • Project Gutenberg is closely affiliated with Distributed Proofreaders, an Internet-based community for proofreading scanned texts.
  • Project Gutenberg is named after Johannes Gutenberg, who introduced book printing with movable type in Europe.

The Correct answer is Mendeley's advantage over Zotero is direct reference formatting on the platform

Key Points

• Mendeley and Zotero are two popular reference management tools used by researchers, academics, and students.
• Mendeley does offer extensive filtering options, which allows users to sort and manage their references effectively.
• Accessibility: Mendeley offers broader accessibility options, including desktop, web, and mobile applications, while Zotero is available as a desktop application and browser extension.
• Support System: Mendeley provides a more versatile support system including online chat, helping guides, and a blog, whereas Zotero mainly relies on its FAQ section for user support.
• The statement claiming Mendeley's advantage over Zotero is direct reference formatting on the platform is not true. Both Mendeley and Zotero offer reference formatting capabilities, allowing users to create citations and bibliographies in various styles directly within their respective platforms.

 Additional Information

• Filtering Options
  • Mendeley's extensive filtering options enable users to categorize and search their references with greater precision, which can significantly aid in managing large libraries of references.
• Accessibility
  • Zotero's availability as a desktop application and browser extension can be a limitation for users who prefer using mobile devices or require cloud-based access. Mendeley's broader accessibility options cater to a wider range of user preferences.
• Support System
  • Mendeley's comprehensive support system, including online chat and a blog, provides users with multiple resources for troubleshooting and guidance, making it a robust choice for users who may need more hands-on support.

The Correct answer is University of Nottingham.

Key Points

• OpenDOAR is a globally recognized directory of open-access repositories that ensures the quality of repositories and offers free access to academic resources.
• Established in 2005 through a collaborative effort between the University of Nottingham and Lund University, this service was made possible with funding from OSI, Jisc, SPARC Europe, and CURL.
• the University of Nottingham maintains it under the SHERPA umbrella.
• In 2015, OpenDOAR and the UK-based Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR) were recognized as the two leading global open-access directories.
• Japan is the second largest participant country.​

Additional Information

• The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ):
  • ​DOAJ is a website that houses a community-curated catalog of open-access journals. 
  • IS4OA (Infrastructure Services for Open Access) manages and maintains it.
  • OAJ was introduced in 2003, initially featuring 300 open-access journals. 
• JISC:
  • ​The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) was established on April 1, 1993, following guidance from the Secretaries of State to the newly formed Higher Education Funding Councils for England, Scotland, and Wales.
  • Its creation aimed to address networking and specialist information service needs for the higher education sector.
  • JISC inherited functions from the Information Systems Committee (ISC) and the Computer Board, extending its support to a broader range of institutions, including ex-polytechnics and higher education colleges. 
  • In 1995, the Northern Ireland Department of Education joined JISC as a full partner, and further expansion occurred in 1999 when further education funding bodies became partners. 
• Open Society Institute:
  • ​Open Society Foundations (OSF), previously known as the Open Society Institute, is a grantmaking network based in the United States and established by entrepreneur George Soros.
  • OSF provides financial support to civil society organizations globally, aiming to promote justice, education, public health, and independent media.
  • The organization draws its name from Karl Popper's book "The Open Society and Its Enemies," published in 1945.