Institutional repositories: proposed indicators of success

Purpose - This paper proposes indicators for measuring the success of institutional repositories based on their demonstrated integration with other research initiatives and provides a snapshot of the current state of selected institutional repositories in Canada through a review of their web presence and their integration with university library and research pages. Design/methodology/approach - Using the proposed indicators, an examination of the web sites of selected Canadian universities who are participating in the Canadian Association of Research Libraries Institutional Repository project was undertaken. Findings - Institutional repositories are growing in Canada and that the Canadian IR community is on the way to the proposed model future - integration with existing university research practices. Originality/value - Indicators such as those proposed in the paper can provide a basic framework for evaluating IR projects and highlight areas where the library can generate additional support for these worthwhile projects.