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An integral part of our sustainability planning process has been assessing the technologies, standards, services, and policies that constitute arXiv. The sustainability of arXiv also depends on enabling interoperability and creating efficiencies among repositories with related and complementary content to reduce duplicate efforts. 2013 has been a transition year for arXiv including adding new staff and exploring new organizational models. Here are some of our key accomplishments and areas that are work-in-progress:
Technical Features and Infrastructure
- Started modifying the email handling system to support arXiv admin and moderation ticketing system
- Gathered requirements list to improve tools and interfaces to support moderators in interacting more directly and efficiently with the arXiv system and administrators
- Review Reviewed use of and experience with the Data Conservancy pilot and then either discontinue or improve interaction. Decide on a medium-term strategy for data and consider assigning DataCite DOIs for ancillary files. Status as of 8/13: The Data Conservancy pilot was discontinued (http://arxiv.org/help/data_conservancy) experience reviewed. , which ended in .... We will continue to support modest sized datasets and other materials using the existing ancillary files mechanism (http://arxiv.org/help/ancillary_files), and will ingest data from the pilot as ancillary files to support it long-term. We have subscribed to the EZID service and will assign DataCite DOIs to ancillary files.
Security and login, email privacy - There are significant deficiencies which should be addressed. Issues include: all password entry and authenticated interactions should occur via https; domain based cookies should not be sent to mirror sites; and user email addresses should be more carefully protected. Status as of 8/13: Not done
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User Support and Moderation
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- Started working with moderators to gather and refine requirements for new tools and interfaces to support their work
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- in a more systematic way.
- Began the process of shifting all communications with users and moderators to a web-based issue tracking system (Request Tracker).
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- The new system will provide us with better tracking and built-in reporting for answering user questions, troubleshooting technical problems, soliciting and following up on moderator input, responding to and resolving moderation appeals, etc.
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Governance & Organizational Model
Created a job description for a
Recruit an Interim arXiv Scientific Director -
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