Project Duration: February 2014 – December 2015

Sustainable and uninterrupted access to digital publications from academic publishers is essential for science and research. To prevent disruptions to normal operations—such as publisher server outages, the transfer of journal titles, a publisher’s exit from the market, or the cancellation of electronic resources—solutions must be found that can be integrated, as far as possible, into a comprehensive strategy applicable throughout Germany.

This DFG-funded project aims to conduct a detailed examination of Portico, LOCKSS, and, if applicable, other systems with regard to their use within the framework of a concept for the national hosting of electronic resources. In doing so, issues related to content, licensing, technology, organization, and financing must be taken into account. Based on an evaluation of the systems conducted using a comprehensive catalog of criteria, an overall technical concept will be developed. Building on this foundation, subsequent steps will focus on designing the necessary rights management framework, developing workflows, and formulating recommendations for suitable organizational and funding models. The future feasibility of the concept to be developed depends not least on achieving the highest possible level of acceptance among potential stakeholders during the project phase.