An **institutional [[repository]] (IR)** is a **digital [[archive]]** where an [[institution]], typically a **[[university]], research [[center]], or [[organization]]**, stores, preserves, and disseminates its intellectual output. It is designed to provide [[open access]] to scholarly [[work]]s, [[research paper]]s, [[thesis]], [[dissertation]]s, [[dataset]]s, and other academic [[material]]s.

### **Key Features of an Institutional Repository:**
1. **Open Access** – Provides unrestricted access to scholarly materials.
2. **Long-term Preservation** – Ensures digital preservation of institutional research.
3. **Content Management** – Organizes various types of academic content.
4. **Metadata and Indexing** – Enhances discoverability via search engines and academic databases.
5. **Compliance** – Helps institutions meet funding agencies' open-access mandates.

### **Common Contents in an IR:**
- Research articles (published & preprints)
- Theses and dissertations
- Conference papers
- Datasets and reports
- Books and monographs
- Multimedia and learning resources

### **Popular Institutional Repository Platforms:**
- **DSpace** (widely used in academia)
- **EPrints** (designed for open access)
- **Fedora Commons** (flexible digital repository)
- **Zenodo** (for research outputs)