Open Access Scholarly Information Infrastructure as Socio-Technical Interaction Networks

Abstract

The paper explores the role of the National Institute for Informatics, Tokyo, Japan, in advancing open-access cloud-based repository infrastructures. This study, funded by a JSPS Short-Term Extramural Fellowship in 2022, uses the Socio-Technical Interaction Networks-STIN framework to understand open access information infrastructures through technical systems and social practices. It found that NII has concentrated its efforts on developing an integrated suite of services across the academic life cycle, including the JAIRO Cloud repository, research data management platforms, and the CiNii Research Platform. A point that came out very strongly in the study is that social infrastructure- for example, a Japan Consortium for Open Access Repositories, JPCOAR- creates a framework for training, workshops, and collaboration spaces for the academic community. This study described how NII grew from early repository development with funding support to developing comprehensive, interoperable systems serving more than 829 universities and research institutions. The study chronicled how NII combined technical innovation and community building to build Japan's largest scholarly information infrastructure through interviews with staff, attending seminars, and site visits to major universities.