Developing Research Capacity through Institutional Repositories Network in Azerbaijan (DIRNA)
Table of contents
Project description
The “Developing Research Capacity through Institutional Repositories Network in Azerbaijan” project (hereafter DIRNA) aims at building capacity in the context of research output management, focusing on the leading AZ HEIs, via establishing Open Access Institutional Repositories Network. The process of intense as well as comprehensive training, which is required to establish and then interlink the aforementioned repositories at each site, arrange the framework’s implementation, data entry and smooth management will represent the core of DIRNA.
Learning outcomes from the project-bound activities will be shared and disseminated in a variety of ways, including the initiation and then establishment of facilities and mechanisms to proactively assist other institutions in the country in setting up and managing their own repositories. In a significant addition, DIRNA will focus on improving not only the visibility and the management of quality scholarly research, but also on supporting open access to research outputs, advocating, and fostering scholarly communication and coordination between the AZ HEIs across the country.
Supporting research activities will address issues such as
- Identifying needs within the Azerbaijani higher education institutions for digital asset management services, and a deployment strategy to satisfy these needs.
- Investigating the needs of academic schools which a repository could meet and identify cultural issues that may act as a barrier for populating such a repository.
Specific objectives of the project include
- Designing and building capacity for 7 OAIRs developing in order to meet technological needs of faculties and researchers at all stages of their career and improving and providing quality research materials through usage of innovative technologies;
- Preparing training and teaching material meeting the local needs for building capacity in implementing OAIR;
- Scaling up the Khazar University IR to serve as a flexible central repository of knowledge supporting the Azerbaijani Universities’ teaching, research, and related activities;
- Maximizing the visibility, use and impact of the scientific and academic output in Azerbaijani research community and beyond;
- Providing access to teaching and learning materials on inclusive education for people with disabilities;
- Producing or providing storage for the electronic publications of the Azerbaijani higher education institutions;
- Sharing widely the skills gained and to assist non-partner AZ HEIs in setting up their OAIR.
Full consortium
Khazar University (AZ)
Mingachevir State University (AZ)
Lankaran State University (AZ)
Baku State University (AZ)
Nakhchivan State University (AZ)
Ganja State University (AZ)
Azerbaijan Technical University (AZ)
Academy of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZ)
Ģֱ (FI)
Università degli Studi dell'Aquila (IT)
Izmir Institute of Technology (TR)
