E‐science and open access repositories in Spain

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to highlight the role of science repositories in the development of e‐science. It aims to provide an overview of the open access collections currently operating in Spain.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is an examination of the tools, type of contents, coverage and aims of the digital research collections generated by Spanish academic bodies.Findings – There is only a limited development of institutional repositories, although it is possible to detect a growing tendency to create them. At the present moment, these digital collections seem principally to be seeking visibility for scientific output such as theses, journals, work in progress, preliminary results and other fringe or unconventional literature, without currently making use of academic teaching and learning materials or corpora relating to the cultural heritage.Practical implications – It would be desirable for government to become involved in encouraging open access within a new model for academi...