This paper proposes indicators for measuring the success of institutional repositories based on their demonstrated integration with other research initiatives and provides a snapshot of the current state of selected institutional repositories in Canada through a review of their web presence and their integration with university library and research pages.
Using the proposed indicators, an examination of the web sites of selected Canadian universities who are participating in the Canadian Association of Research Libraries Institutional Repository project was undertaken.
Institutional repositories are growing in Canada and that the Canadian IR community is on the way to the proposed model future – integration with existing university research practices.
Indicators such as those proposed in the paper can provide a basic framework for evaluating IR projects and highlight areas where the library can generate additional support for these worthwhile projects.
