Is your research archive visible beyond your institution or disconnected from the global scholarly system?
In many emerging research ecosystems, valuable scholarship remains difficult to discover, cite, and measure. Implemented by Somali Research and Education Network (SomaliREN), the Somali Research and Education Repository (SORER) demonstrates how persistent identifiers (PIDs) can transform local archives into globally connected knowledge platforms.
By integrating DOIs, ORCID iDs, and community-driven repository practices, SomaliREN has connected nearly 1,000 Somali research publications to international discovery systems. Beyond technology, this approach combined structured training and institutional engagement to ensure sustainable adoption.
You will explore how phased PID implementation and researcher awareness programmes strengthened research visibility, and how connecting local scholarship to global infrastructures enhances citation potential, collaboration opportunities, and research credibility.
If you aim to move from isolated archives to globally discoverable knowledge, this session offers a practical, replicable model for keeping knowledge connected.
Is your institutional repository collecting valuable research that few people beyond your network can find?
Across many emerging research ecosystems, scholarship is being produced, but it remains fragmented, locally stored, and disconnected from global discovery systems. Without persistent identifiers such as DOIs and ORCID iDs, research outputs are difficult to cite, track, measure, and integrate into international scholarly infrastructures. Visibility remains limited, and opportunities for collaboration and impact are reduced.
This session presents the SORER Model, implemented by the Somali Research and Education Network (SomaliREN), to transform local archives into globally discoverable knowledge platforms.
Through the Somali Research and Education Repository (SORER), SomaliREN established a multi-institutional, open-access repository built on persistent identifier infrastructure. Nearly 1,000 Somali research publications—including articles, datasets, and reports—are now findable, citeable, and connected to global discovery systems. This transformation did not rely on technology alone; it required strategic planning, structured training programmes, institutional coordination, and sustained community engagement.
You will explore how SomaliREN introduced PIDs through phased, institution-sensitive adoption strategies aligned with existing capacities. Rather than imposing complex requirements, the approach prioritized awareness-building, practical training, and gradual integration of DOIs and ORCID into researcher workflows. This strengthened trust, encouraged voluntary participation, and accelerated repository growth.
The session will also examine how governance alignment and coordination across member universities supported sustainability. Clear roles, shared standards, and continuous engagement positioned SORER as a trusted national research infrastructure rather than simply a digital archive.
You will explore:
• How persistent identifiers increase discoverability and citation potential
• How training and outreach drive researcher participation
• How community ownership strengthens long-term adoption
• How national coordination enhances interoperability and global integration
• How a repository can move from passive archives to active research visibility
You will also examine how SomaliREN:
• Introduced PIDs through phased, institution-sensitive strategies
• Built trust and encouraged voluntary researcher participation
• Used training and awareness programmes to accelerate repository growth
• Positioned SORER as a trusted national research infrastructure
Importantly, you will examine the practical barriers encountered—including limited awareness, policy gaps, infrastructure constraints, and sustainability concerns—and the solutions applied to address them without overwhelming institutions.
Keeping knowledge connected is not only about assigning identifiers. It is about building a culture of visibility, strengthening research integrity, and ensuring that locally produced scholarship contributes meaningfully to global knowledge systems.
If you are seeking a realistic, transferable model for connecting underrepresented research to the world, this session provides clear lessons and actionable strategies to help you move from local archives to global discovery.
Chief Communications Officer of the Somali Research & Education Network (SomaliREN)