Re: How To Support Institutional OA Archive Start-Up and OA Content Provision

From: Alma Swan <a.swan_at_talk21.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 18:01:22 +0100

David Goodman wrote:

> I think it would be very useful to everyone if you could post the cost
> figures you refer to here, giving the detail upon which it is based so
> that other places could adapt it to their size and needs.

>> (I) First, determine the start-up cost of creating an institutional
>> OA Archive (including any requisite departmental/disciplinary
>> modularization and customisation). (Southampton can help provide
>> you with the actual figures; they have the most extensive experience
>> with this.)... Stevan Harnad

For a recent study we undertook for JISC
(www.keyperspectives.co.uk/OpenAccessArchive/E-prints_delivery_model.pdf)
we obtained actual institutional archive set-up and running cost figures
from four different institutions. And as we wrote in the report (which
will be published very shortly) "asking how much it costs to set up an
archive is like asking how long is a piece of string". There are so many
variables and it depends too on how much of the infrastructure and staff
costs can be absorbed by existing provision. However, for information,
here are the actual costs from four different universities, converted
into USD:

MIT:
Set-up costs: $2.4-2.5 million (most in the form of a grant)
Annual running costs: $285,000

Queens Qspace:
Set-up costs: $41,130
Annual running costs: $39,500

National University of Ireland, Maynooth:
Set-up costs: $31,400
Annual running costs: $47,100

Nottingham University:
Set-up costs: $6980
Annual running costs: $56,385
(includes provision for a triennial update of hardware and software)

Despite the wild variations here, the salient point is that institutions
need to budget for fairly high on-costs, and at least initially these are
mostly for staff requirements to do with the actual soliciting and
deposition of articles. As authors become familiar with the mechanics of
this and deposit their articles themselves, this particular element of the
on-cost may reduce considerably over time.

Alma P Swan, BSc, PhD, MBA
Director
Key Perspectives Ltd
Truro
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1392 879702
Received on Mon Oct 04 2004 - 18:01:22 BST