The development of institutional repositories in East Africa countries: A comparative analysis of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the growth of IR in the East Africa region (Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda) from 2010-2020. This study adopted a content analysis methodology. Data for this study was extracted from OpenDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repository), ROAR (Registry of Open Access Repository) and repositories websites to identify the language used, subject covered, software used and types of content that are found in East African repositories. The findings of this study reveal that East Africa region had a total number of 66 repositories, which are registered in OpenDOAR. Kenya is a leading country in the region by having 42 repositories, followed by Tanzania with 14 repositories and Uganda have 10 repositories. The findings show that there is an increase number in the of repositories in the region from 4 in 2010 to 66 in 2020, however the growth is low compared to other parts of the world like Europe, Asia, and America. The study shows the need of librarians, researchers, stakeholders, and East Africa governments to come together to overcome the challenges that hinder the growth of repositories in the region. Mandate policies formulation, training, fund support, OA awareness and technical support are needed in overcoming those challenges. Keywords: Institutional Repository, Open Access, Content growth, Institutional Repository software, Items types, Institutional Repository language, and subject covered in repository, East Africa region.