PathOS Factsheet on RCAAP Case Study
Abstract
PathOS Factsheet on thefindings from a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) of RCAAP (Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal), carried out as part of the Horizon Europe project PathOS. The analysis assesses RCAAP’s institutional, economic, and societal value by applying the PathOS CBA framework. The evaluation combines desk research, surveys, stakeholder consultations, and citation analysis to quantify the benefits of open access infrastructure. Read the full report here: RCAAP case study.
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THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC VALUE OF RCAAP Launched in 2008, RCAAP is Portugal’s national repositories network aggregating and sharing scientific content from institutions across all fields Free institutional repository hosting service with flexible customisation and integration options Extra support for institutions: from journal & data hosting, to usage statistics, and training services Users mainly from Portugal (96%) and Portuguese-speaking countries Users typically from academia and other higher education institutions (88%) Broad use across scientific disciplines MAXIMISING VALUE THROUGH OPEN SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE Free and global access to full-text documents and metadata, with minimal restrictions (e.g. embargoes) RCAAP operates on a collaborative model, relying on staff contributions from participating institutions (85% of total resources). Average annual costs (2006–2026): €200,000 Benefits come from shared hosting infrastructure, pooled expert resources, and reduced duplication of efforts Average annual benefits (2006–2026): €285,000
IMPACT ON USERS IF RCAAP DID NOT EXIST ENHANCING ACCESS TO PORTUGUESE RESEARCH could not have carried out their work 20% would have faced reduced research quality 39% would not have used a paid alternative 59% Without RCAAP, fragmentation would likely have increased, significantly limiting the development of Institutional Repositories in Portugal Participating institutions grew from 14 to 121 since 2008 Over 1 million documents available Access to over 40% of Portuguese academic research Portal usage has tripled since 2008 Supported by strong, regularly updated legal and policy frameworks RCAAP advances multiple SDGs by offering free access to scientific knowledge, with the greatest impact on SDG 4, quality education and lifelong learning, serving students as key users Open Science | PathOS project | Horizon Europe Powered by Factsheet prepared by the consortium partner CSIL This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101058728. pathos-project.eu