The University of Nairobi is the oldest university in Kenya and is a keen supporter of open access and alongside its open access policy, it operates a Digital Repository. With the Digital Repository in place, there is more transparency in research and there is increased visibility of research outputs through the repository and other open access platforms.
The increased visibility had led to enhanced research collaborations and more researchers are active in ensuring that research informs decision making. There is also better access to research outputs and more networks have emerged enhancing researchers’ access to otherwise unavailable information.
The Digital Repository enhances the already existing collaborations and research outputs are made more visible due to further open access developments. There is also improved research quality and the institution's impact on the global stage. In addition, more research visibility also has a bigger impact on the national economy. Most of the research output that is available in the university has not been very accessible in the past but with the open access repository more researchers and policymakers are able to access this research and apply it in decision making and advancement of the research agenda in the country. A more informed citizenry will have a positive impact on the market economy.
Some of the rare documents in the Digital Repository are the Historical documents about the University of Nairobi and information on the East African Protectorate since the colonial period. Since its inception in 2012, the Repository has been growing exponentially with a total of over 100,000 items. In terms of documents submitted, they range from theses, Journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings among others.
The Repository has moved towards disciplinary Repositories with examples in Digital Health Repository and Seed Enterprise Management Institute (SEMIs) and more disciplinary repositories continue to be developed for improved visibility and accessibility.
Access the University of Nairobi Digital Repository http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/