The purpose of the present study was to investigate predictors of users’ preferences for digital information, so that the results can be used to inform on improving digital dissemination at the ORI Library. Within the field of aquatic and marine science, two popular repositories have been developed namely, the Aquatic Commons repository and the OdinPbAfrica open access repository. These, if adopted, can improve digital dissemination at the ORI Library.
These repositories form the backbone of digital resource usage and they offer free access to participating institutions and individuals. Considering that library budgets are always tight, this option would be recommended to increase and widen access.
2.9.1 The Aquatic Commons Repository
The Aquatic Commons is an open access repository developed in 2007 by the IAMSLIC (Collins 2007:14). Based in the USA, the open access model was developed to facilitate global sharing of research on natural marine, estuarine/brackish and freshwater environments (Collins 2007:14). Collins and Gribling (2007:1) observed that fisheries and aquaculture literature does not easily find its way into commercial libraries, particularly information related to the management of fisheries and aquaculture, as this information is normally published as grey literature and is often difficult to obtain. Thus the Aquatic Commons allows the capturing, dissemination and preservation of marine and aquatic information.
Literature, which includes research papers (pre- and post-prints), conference and workshop papers, posters, power point presentations, theses and dissertations, unpublished reports, monographs, working papers, technical reports, books and book chapters and images, can be deposited in the repository by participating members across the globe (Haas et al., 2009:2).
The documents are reviewed by editors and the content of appropriate items is added to the repository, while non-appropriate items are rejected. Use of the repository includes uploading
39 and downloading full-text documents and bibliographic information by individual researchers and scholars, agencies, societies and institutions.
Based on the concept of equal ownership and resource sharing, Collins (2007:14) identifies the specific aims of the Aquatic Commons. They are to:
Allow the sharing of information and knowledge on the science and management of aquatic environments,
Provide free and open access to information,
Ensure equal participation and coverage of the literature from developing and developed countries,
Empower managers and resource users to publish their findings,
Enable the use and validation of research results,
Avoid costly and wasteful duplication of effort,
Ensure the preservation of information and its availability for future generations.
The Aquatic Commons has an official metadata harvester, Avano, which integrates metadata into larger aggregate services such as the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts database (ASFA). Avano provides access to resources linked to all marine sciences, as well as resources linked to fresh water resources (Haas et al., 2009:8-9).
As there is a paucity of studies to evaluate the use of e-resources in aquatic and marine science libraries, the present study addressed some of the evaluations made on the use of the Aquatic Commons repository of the IAMSLIC. Use of the Aquatic Commons within the African region has not been very pleasing. Ibeun (2011:4-5) evaluated how, in terms of input and usage, the African countries contributed to the development of the Aquatic Commons.
The results showed that, between June 2010 and July 2011, Africa contributed only 596 (9.8%) documents to developing the repository, with contributions from Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Sierra Leone. Worldwide contributions added up to 3 867 full-text documents, from 82 agencies, with major submissions from developed countries like USA.
The number of downloads and usage made by members worldwide from the repository amounted to 233 781. Developed countries like the USA, France, the UK, Canada, Germany and Turkey, and other countries like Malaysia, Philippines, Argentina and India, recorded
40 high usage statistics of 228 751. Africa downloaded 19 321 full-text documents from seven countries, namely Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, South Africa and Tanzania.
According to Ibeun (2011:4), a general analysis of both input to, and usage of, the Aquatic Commons repository revealed that Africa, which forms part of the developing countries, has low levels of participation. The report suggested that the low level of participation by Africa was a result of ineptitude of users, a lack of awareness of the project, there were no mechanisms to offer feedback to participating agencies and language of the repository. Poor working environments, extremely limited library budgets, inadequate infrastructure and access to the Internet are some of the impediments to e-resource usage in the region.
Problems encountered in accessing information on geographic areas were also evaluated and results showed that a subject categorisation had been used to describe uploaded documents and for this reason, precision was never achieved while searching the repository (Ibeun 2011:7).
2.9.2 OdinPubAfrica (OceanDocs) Open Access Repository
OdinPubAfrica is an open access repository developed by Ocean Data and Information Network in Africa (ODINAFRICA) to archive African scientific output, both published and unpublished (Nyika 2009:1). ODINAFRICA is a data and information project network established in 2003 to enable marine and aquatic institutes in Africa to share resources and improve access to scientific literature by marine and freshwater professionals (Nyika 2009:2).
To this effect, the OdinPubAfrica repository was developed. Nyika (2009:2) identified the goals of OdinPubAfrica open access repository as:
To facilitate publishing of research findings by African scientists in marine science and oceanography, thereby promoting African research and increasing access by African scientists to the international research forum,
To make scientific publications in the field of marine science and oceanography in Africa more easily and freely accessible,
To enhance internal scientific communication,
To develop an OAI-compliant repository providing access to full-text publications created by scientists affiliated to African institutes.
41 The success of OdinPubAfrica repository development raised the interest of other regions outside Africa such as Latin America, Eastern Europe and island states in the Pacific in joining the repository project. As a result, in 2006, OdinPubAfrica was extended and renamed OceanDocs to include other interested Ocean Data and Information Network (ODIN) groups (Nyika 2009:3). OceanDocs is supported by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), specifically to collect, preserve and facilitate access to all research output from members of their Ocean Data and Information Networks (ODINS).
OceanDocs is one of a number of complementary thematic digital marine and aquatic repositories, including the Aquatic Commons, which is supported by IAMSLIC (Haas et al., 2009:4). The records of both repositories are harvested by Avano; the one-point access to oceanographic and aquatic literature which puts together records from marine and aquatic repositories around the world.