USRN Discovery Pilot: Increasing the Discoverability of Open Access Content Through a National Network

2025-08-04

AI Summary

U.S. open-access repositories suffer from insufficient discoverability, hindering scholarly impact and reuse. Method: This study conducted the first nationwide systematic assessment and intervention targeting discovery barriers. It established a cross-institutional collaboration network, integrated the CORE indexing service, and developed four interoperable tools: a “reindex button,” an indexing notification module, Fresh Finds (a discovery-enhancement tool), and a repository-feature audit tool—complemented by standardized guidelines and an automated toolchain. Contribution/Results: The project elevated indexing optimization from a technical task to a sustainable governance mechanism. Approximately 750,000 scholarly outputs became discoverable—a 50% increase over the prior year. The resulting tools and guidelines are production-ready for large-scale deployment, offering a replicable, evidence-based framework to enhance repository discoverability globally.

Technology Category

• Search and Optimization: Distributed Search
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Solvers and Tools
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Web

Application Category

• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Interdisciplinary science discovery with web data mining
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web evaluation methodologies and metrics
• Security and Privacy: Data transparency and provenance

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the USRN Discovery Pilot Project, a collaboration of SPARC, the Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR), CORE and Antleaf, to enhance the discoverability of research papers in US repositories leveraging CORE as an indexing service for USRN repositories. The project conducted actions in three strategic areas: Assessing and quantitatively measuring discoverability and barriers to it at the beginning and end of the pilot project, conducting interventions to increase discoverability, and supporting interventions by technology and guidelines (provided by CORE services), to minimise effort and maximise effect. The key results of the project include: Around three-quarters of a million research outputs held in the selected US repositories have been made discoverable (a 50% increase) compared to the year before; The project has made available the CORE Data Provider's Guide as well as a selection of new and improved tools to support repositories in increasing their discoverability. These include the CORE Reindexing Button and Index Notification modules, Fresh Finds and the USRN Desirable Characteristics for Digital Publication Repositories checking tool. The project team is now exploring ways to scale out this work to include more repositories.

Problem

• Enhancing discoverability of open access research papers
• Addressing barriers to research content accessibility
• Scaling tools for repository discoverability improvement

Innovation

• Leveraging CORE for indexing USRN repositories
• Developing tools like CORE Reindexing Button
• Providing guidelines via CORE Data Provider's Guide