Deposit behavior in institutional repositories: A Case study of ORBi

Institutional repositories, such as ORBi (Open Archive and Bibliography) at the University of Liège (ULiège), are important in advancing the Open Science movement by enhancing the visibility and accessibility of research outputs. This study investigates the deposit behavior of researchers at ULiège, focusing on the completeness of metadata in ORBi. Employing a quantitative research approach, the study involved the extraction of metadata of 240,758 records from ORBi, encompassing both required and optional fields. Metrics related to publication visibility, such as views and downloads, are also collected. The analysis includes descriptive statistics to provide an overview of metadata completeness, trend analysis to assess changes over time, and correlation analysis to explore relationships between metadata quality and publication visibility.
The findings revealed that researchers typically complete only about 12 fields for describing their outputs. Additionally, out of more than twenty optional metadata fields, about 4 optional fields are completed by researchers. This suggests significant room for improvement in metadata quality, which is essential for the effective organization, retrieval, and utilization of research outputs in alignment with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles. The study highlighted notable differences in metadata completion rates across disciplines. Then, there is a need for targeted interventions and training programs to encourage more comprehensive metadata entry. The findings showed that there is a positive correlation between metadata completeness and user engagement. Therefore, by improving metadata quality, the number of views and downloads of records within ORBi increase. The implications of this research extend to the management and promotion of institutional repositories, informing policy decisions related to metadata standards and the design of user-friendly systems that cater to the needs of researchers. In conclusion, this study provides empirical evidence on the deposit behavior of researchers in relation to metadata completeness within ORBi. By analyzing the factors influencing metadata practices and their impact on the visibility and discoverability of research outputs, the research contributes valuable insights for enhancing metadata quality in institutional repositories.