Institutional Repositories Towards Knowledge Management

Abstract

Institutional Repositories (IRs) are a visible manifestation of the emerging importance of Knowledge Management (KM) in higher education. Paradoxically, “scholarly respect for knowledge and a desire to ensure academic freedom make most institutions reluctant to manage knowledge of any sort”. This paper explains the concept of Institutional Repository (IR) and brings out the definitional analysis of IR definitions. Briefly describes the initiatives taken towards building IRs. States the logical Principles of IR and emphasizes its significance in Academic and Research Institutions. Further highlights the benefits in developing IRs. Explains the availability of free and fee software in the design and development of IRs and enumerates features of each software. Finally urges to adopt relevant standards to achieve globalization and access of IRs by universal community.