Digital preservation of electronic theses and dissertations through self-deposit in institutional repositories

Desriyeni Desriyeni, Andi Saputra, Shamila Mohamed Shuhidan, Leni Marsih, Ridha Hasnul Ulya

Abstract


Background: Digital preservation of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) is fundamental to sustaining scholarly output in higher education institutions; however, empirical investigations into user satisfaction and socio-technical challenges within self-deposit models globally remain limited, especially in local Indonesian context. Purpose: This study examined satisfaction levels and implementation challenges in ETD digital preservation through self-deposit in the institutional repository of Universitas Andalas, Indonesia. Methods: Employing a sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected via a satisfaction survey administered to 174 students who completed the self-deposit process. Analysis used descriptive statistics and validity testing in SPSS, while qualitative insights were derived from semi-structured interviews with repository administrators and library staff, supplemented by workflow observations and analyzed through thematic analysis. Results: Results revealed a procedurally structured self-deposit workflow constrained by technical limitations: students reported moderate overall satisfaction (M = 3.46), with the lowest ratings for system performance, especially stability and upload speed, and persistent difficulties with file uploads, metadata completion, and comprehension of deposit guidelines. Conversely, administrative support received the highest satisfaction scores, highlighting users' continued reliance on human assistance. Conclusion: Self-deposit alone is insufficient for effective ETD preservation in resource-constrained environments; its sustainability hinges on integrating a robust technical infrastructure with consistent human support to bridge the socio-technical gap between system design and user capabilities. Implications: Theoretically, this study contributes to digital preservation literature by foregrounding socio-technical interdependencies in self-deposit adoption beyond Western contexts. In practice, it offers actionable recommendations for repository managers in developing countries, including infrastructure upgrades to enhance system reliability, simplifying metadata schemas and user interfaces, and embedding editor support during the deposit process to strengthen repository sustainability and user autonomy.

 


Keywords


Digital preservation; Institutional repositories; Self-deposit; Theses and Dissertations; User satisfaction

References


Adam, U. A., & Kaur, K. (2023). Empirical validation of IR sustainability model: Leveraging on a PLS-SEM approach. Digital Library Perspectives, 39(1), 74–96. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-02-2022-0014

Akinola, A., Oso, O. O., Shorunke, O. A., & Oyadele, O. G. (2024). Preservation of theses and dissertations in the era of digitization: A case study of selected universities in Oyo state, Nigeria. Digital Library Perspectives, 40(4), 631–648. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-03-2024-0053

Andrews, J. E., Ward, H., & Yoon, J. (2021). UTAUT as a Model for Understanding Intention to Adopt AI and Related Technologies among Librarians. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2021.102437

Anyaoku, E. N., Echedom, A. U. N., & Baro, E. E. (2019). Digital preservation practices in university libraries: An investigation of institutional repositories in Africa. Digital Library Perspectives, 35(1), 41–64. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-10-2017-0041

Awamleh, M. A., & Hamad, F. (2022). Digital preservation of information sources at academic libraries in Jordan: An employee’s perspective. Library Management, 43(1/2), 172–191. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-10-2021-0088

Baro, E. E., & Nwabueze-Echedom, A. U. (2023). An evaluation of institutional repository development in African universities. IFLA Journal, 49(1), 18–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221089672

Björk, B.-C. (2016). The open access movement at a crossroad: Are the big publishers and academic social media taking over? Learned Publishing, 29(2), 131–134. https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.1021

Cromwell, J. C. (2023). Rethinking Institutional Repositories-Innovations in Management, Collections, and Inclusion. Association of College and Research Libraries.

Esse, U., & Haliso, Y. (2024). Facilitating conditions and institutional repository sustainability by librarians in public university libraries in Nigeria. Digital Library Perspectives, 40(1), 4–22. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-05-2023-0035

Ezechukwu, O., Adewole-Odeshi, E., & Onobrakpor, U. (2024). Exploring the global visibility of African scholarly communication: A comparative analysis of open access repositories in Africa. Folia Toruniensia, 24, 95–123. https://doi.org/10.12775/FT.2024.005

Fujita, M. S. L., & Panuto, J. C. (2024). Guidelines on assigning the subjects of theses and dissertations in repositories. IFLA Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352231217275

Hadad, S., & Aharony, N. (2024). Researchers’ perceptions, patterns, motives, and challenges in self-archiving as a function of the discipline. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 56(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006221146768

Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Qadri, M. A., & Suman, R. (2022). Understanding the role of digital technologies in education: A review. Sustainable Operations and Computers, 3, 275–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susoc.2022.05.004

Kindling, M., & Strecker, D. (2022). Data Quality Assurance at Research Data Repositories. Data Science Journal, 21, 18. https://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2022-018

Kodua-Ntim, K. (2024). Author self-archiving in open access institutional repositories for awareness creation in universities. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2364385

Kyprianos, K., & Lygnou, E. (2022). Institutional repositories and copyright in Greek academic libraries. JLIS.It, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.36253/jlis.it-449

Mahameed, M. A. A., Sirhan, A. A. A., Tawalbeh, S. A., Mohsen, I. N., & Momani, H. (2021). A Proposal For Building An Institutional Digital Repository: Stages And Obstacles From Librarian’s Perspectives. Webology, 18(4), 1732–1753.

Mangai, G., & Ganesan, P. (2022). Researchers’ perception and response to the open access resources (OAR) in higher learning institutions of Tamil Nadu, India. Library Management, 44(1/2), 40–55. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-02-2022-0012

Marsh, R. M. (2015). The role of institutional repositories in developing the communication of scholarly research. OCLC Systems & Services: International Digital Library Perspectives, 31(4), 163–195. https://doi.org/10.1108/OCLC-04-2014-0022

Masenya, T. M., & Ngulube, P. (2019). Digital preservation practices in academic libraries in South Africa in the wake of the digital revolution. SA Journal of Information Management, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajim.v21i1.1011

Mbughuni, A. S., Mtega, W. P., & Malekani, A. W. (2024). Self-archiving of Scholarly Publications for improved access to local content in Tanzania. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 56(3), 581–593. https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006231155182

Nicholson, S. W., & Bennett, T. B. (2021). Do institutional repository deposit guidelines deter data discovery? Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 16(3), 2–17. https://doi.org/10.18438/eblip29913

Nisa, N. T., Gulzar, F., Bashir, S., Gul, S., Khan, A., & Bashir, A. (2021). A Systematic Review of Open Access Institutional Repositories (OAIRs). Library Philosophy and Practice, 1–18.

Oberhiri-Orumah, G., & Baro, E. E. (2022). The extent of building and managing local contents in institutional repositories. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, 72(4/5), 464–483. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-08-2021-0139

Ocran, T. K., & Afful-Arthur, P. (2021). The role of digital scholarship in academic libraries. Library Hi Tech, 40(6), 1642–1657. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-09-2020-0238

Okeji, C. C., Tralagba, E. C., & Obi, I. C. (2020). Digital literacy skills and knowledge-based competencies among librarians. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, 69(4/5), 311–330. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-05-2019-0054

Oseghale, O. (2023). Digital information literacy skills and use of electronic resources. Digital Library Perspectives, 39(2), 181–204. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-09-2022-0071

Quigley, N. (2022). The Role of Australian Institutional Repositories in Sharing Academic Research. Curtin University.

Rafiq, M. (2022). Institutional repositories (IRs) in universities of Pakistan: Issues and emergent framework for remedies. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 48(1), 102480.

Rebekah, K. (2023). Conducting a Baseline Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Assessment of Institutional Repository Content BT - Rethinking Institutional Repositories (pp. 163–171). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Saputra, A. (2024). Perpustakaan Digital: Konsep, Manajemen, dan Implementasi. Prenada.

Tillman, R. K. (2017). Where Are We Now? Survey on Rates of Faculty Self-Deposit. Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.7710/2162-3309.2203

van Dijk, W., Schatschneider, C., & Hart, S. A. (2021). Open Science in Education Sciences. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 54(2), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219420945267

Vardakosta, I. (2020). Cooperate, Educate and Develop. Journal of Map & Geography Libraries, 16(1), 29–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/15420353.2020.1838399

Xie, I., & Matusiak, K. K. (2016). Digital library collection development BT - Discover Digital Libraries (pp. 37–58). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-417112-1.00002-8

Xu, Z., Watts, J., Bankston, S., & Sare, L. (2022). Depositing Data: A Usability Study of the Texas Data Repository. Journal of EScience Librarianship, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.7191/jeslib.2022.1233

Zhou, P. X. (2021). Towards a Sustainable Infrastructure for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Digital Scholarship. Data and Information Management, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.2478/dim-2020-0052




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24198/jkip.v14i1.69643

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s)

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

 

Jurnal Kajian Informasi & Perpustakaan Indexed by:

 

 

Jurnal Kajian Informasi & Perpustakaan
Program Studi Perpustakaan dan Sains Informasi d.h. Program Studi Ilmu Perpustakaan
Fakultas Ilmu Komunikasi, Universitas Padjadjaran
Jl. Raya Bandung-Sumedang Km. 21 Jatinangor, Sumedang, Indonesia 45363
WA: +62 877-1860-4022 (Risa Nurisani)

Telepon: +62227796954
Faksimile: +62227794122
email: [email protected]

 



Jurnal Kajian Informasi & Perpustakaan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

 

Jurnal Kajian Informasi & Perpustakaan supervised by: