Open Access Repositories in Bangladesh and India: A comparative analysis

Abstract

The objective of this study is to compare the present status of open access
repositories in Bangladesh and India based on certain predetermined
characteristics. Open Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) as a
data-gathering instrument had been accessed for extracting the data from the
period of 01-06 August, 2020. The results reveal that a total number of 108
repositories were registered in the OpenDOAR from Bangladesh and India in
which India has more repositories than Bangladesh. The comparison between
the repositories clearly indicates that Bangladesh is lagging behind in terms of
developing OAR with only 14 repositories whereas India is leading the chart
with 94. It is also evident that the repositories from India are more diversified in
terms of content language which includes more than ten languages in
comparison with only two in Bangladesh. In using software to manage the
resources, the repositories from Bangladesh are using DSpace and Greenstone
whereas diversified forms of software are being used in India. India is also far
ahead in terms of the nature of content type and subject of the content in
comparison to Bangladesh. The main drawback of the present research is that the
findings are solely based on the data collected through the repositories indexed
in OpenDOAR. The analysis of OAR of these two countries will help the library
and information professionals to benchmarks their quality and also help in
identifying issues to be addressed for fostering the growth of OAR.