Research papers are easily discovered through Google, Google Scholar and other search engines;
Increases impact, visibility and usage of research on the internet;
Provides new contacts and can result in research partnerships for authors;
Repositories provide usage statistics, which reveal international interest;
Secure storage of research, as well as stability and longevity.
What are the benefits for UWC?
Research is available in one place, rather than spread across hundreds of journals, which increases the online visibility and prestige of the institution;
The quality of the institution's academic output can be an effective marketing tool for the institution, attracting new students and academics, as well as funding prospects;
Institutions can measure and assess its research programmes, if the research is available in the institutional repository; and
Research funders are increasingly needing to see the return on their investment and value for money, and evidence of research impact is a crucial way that higher education demonstrates its value.
What are the benefits for the Public?
Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) play a key role in innovation. Thus access to current research findings is crucial. Visibility of the research enables SMEs and universities to have a collaborative relationship.
A 2011 study, Access to research and technical information in Denmark, states the economic implications of being able to access research. The report findings were that 79% of the SMEs have difficulties accessing online research. With the result, €73m per year is spent on accessing research to researchers in Danish firms. The authors found that the average delay in producing a product without access to academic research is 2.2 years and new products cost €4.8 million per company. [Houghton, Swan & Brown, 2011]
