(University of Lethbridge, 2009) Swanepoel, Marinus
The development of digital repositories has been a relative recent one, starting in late 2000 with the release a software package called E-Prints. Since that time, the establishment of digital repositories has gained momentum. Factors such as the falling costs for online storage and the increase of broadband networking technologies have contributed to their current popularity. The status of institutional repositories internationally is under investigation in the context of the Gartner Hype Curve. The available numbers on institutional repositories are analyzed with emphasis on its role in changing the scholarly communication process and the impact of the open-access movement.