DSpace based repositories allows to archive content of various types:

• Both published and unpublished documents (e. g., accepted manuscripts, prepared but not yet published papers, posters, presentation materials, reviews, etc.),
• Both Open Access and closed access (private) items
• Other (non-textual) objects
• Not only scientific, but also any other kind of University’s production

This variety of hosted content is ensured by a wide range of supported formats and content access types available in the DSpace based repositories.

DSpace based repositories accepts a wide variety of file formats (e.g. PDF, JPG, XLS, TXT, ZIP, HTML, various video and audio files, etc.), allowing to expand the hosted content by archiving not only scientific, but also social and cultural output of the University.
The size of the objects is not limited but general recommendations is to upload objects up to 2 GB size.

Accumulating of scientific (or other) Institutional outputs in institutional repositories is also called self-archiving or Green Open Access model. Institutional repositories are designed not only for accumulating and preserving, but also for dissemination of the institution’s production. Therefore, Institutional repositories are operating based on open access model (with possible exceptions). In such way institutional repositories can be regarded as essential tools for the implementation of Open Science principles within institutions.
Accordingly, the majority of repositories benefits are related with implementation of Open Access goals:

• Provide the University with opportunity to actively engage in global and European Commission (ES) initiated Open Science propagation and expansion activities (e. g., EOSC, EIC).
• Allows to ensure open access to University’s research and related data, which is often demanded in order to get financial research support (e.g. for projects financed according to Horizon Europe 2021-2027 program, requirements of funders participating in Plan-S initiative).
• Free or inside community ensured access to University’s scientific production and data allows to increase not only research transparency but also its quality.
• Repository’s inclusion in the global repositories’ registries (e.g., ROAR, OpenDOAR, re3data, WorldCat) and implementation of open access electronic data dissemination tools increases University’s international visibility.

Institutional repositories are also beneficial in other aspects:

• Systemic accumulation of wide and various University’s information allows to employ repository for additional purposes (e.g., for career, study, or research assessments).
• Preservation of information about the University also serve as the scientific and historical heritage for future generations.
• Wider access to University’s production is also beneficial for authors as higher visibility of their works also increases their citation possibilities.

Repository’s content can be searched in several ways:

• By one or several keywords or any other data indicated in objects descriptions (author, object identifier, DOI, etc.) using one-window search box. It should be noted, that DSpace system allows to perform keyword search not only within object metadata, but in the object’s text as well.

• By applying advanced filters, allowing to perform the search within several metadata fields (available for content filtering) at once.  Advanced filters can be accessed by clicking on the search icon near the search window.

The content of the repository can also be browsed and (or) filtered:

• Within the context of all repository
• Or within particular structural subunit of any level: community, sub-community, collection.

The basic content browsing/filtering options allows to sort content by titles, types, authors, issue date, and subjects/keywords.
In the renewed repository additional content browsing/filtering options were enabled, allowing to sort the content by:

• Author represented institution;
• Author represented VILNIUS TECH faculties and departments (based on University’s structure represented in eLABa IS)
• Publication types (PDB/ETD) (applicable only for published content, according to eLABa document type classifier)
• Research (art) field (based on nationally approved classification, with codes)
• Study direction (based on nationally approved classification, with codes)
• VILNIUS TECH institutional classifiers: VILNIUS TECH research priorities and topics and Lithuanian intelligent specializations (based on institutionally and nationally approved classifications, with codes)
• Publisher (applicable only for published content)
• Source title (applicable only for published content)

Additional search settings allow to:

• sort search results by any criterion representing content browsing/filtering options (in ascending or descending order);
• select the preferred number of results to be displayed in one page (from 5 to 100, basic setting is 10 results per page).

The content of the repository can be browsed and searched anonymously, but in order to get wider access to the hosted objects and (or) to be able to subscribe to the collection news (e-mail alerts informing the user about the new items submitted to the collection of interest), the user has to be logged-in to the repository (more information is available in the section Repository’s Usage -> Login).

Repository’s content search via external search systems

• Open access content dissemination protocols are applied in the repository allowing its content (without any additional objects access restrictions) to be searchable via external search systems (e.g., Google).
• The content of the repository can also be accessed via VILNIUS TECH Virtual Library.