A Study on Policy-Driven Strategies for Enhancing Metadata Quality in Electr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) are pivotal in higher education institutions (HEIs) repositories, serving as vital assets for accessibility, knowledge sharing, and research preservation. The research focuses on assessing ETD metadata quality and ingestion processes within HEI repositories, specifically emphasizing institutional repository policies. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study scrutinized ETD metadata in Zambian HEIs boasting functional repositories. Data was collected using an online questionnaire to determine HEIs that have IRs. Once the HEIs had been identified and their IR URLs verified, the researcher harvested data from the IRs for analysis. The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) was utilized to gather metadata, which was then analysed for completeness. The analysis involved scoring individual metadata elements relative to the ETD-ms metadata standard, with mandatory elements weighted at 1 and optional elements at 0.5. Each ETD was given a score based on the presence or absence of these elements. The completeness metric was developed by the researcher to assess the quality of ETD metadata, based on the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations Electronic These and Dissertations Metadata standard (NDLTD ETD-ms). Additionally, interviews with 16 stakeholders from eight HEIs were conducted to understand how policy influences metadata quality. Findings revealed a notable deficiency in ETD metadata completeness. HEIs often deviated from established standards like ETD-ms, either creating their own or adapting existing ones. Compliance with the NDLTD ETD-ms, metadata scheme, encompassing 14 metadata elements, was inadequate. Optional elements such as contributors and coverage were frequently absent. The study underscored the importance of metadata, particularly completeness, for Institutional Repositories (IRs), advocating for prioritizing metadata quality through standardized practices, creator training, and robust quality control mechanisms. The research highlights the critical role of metadata in IRs and proposes practical interventions. Recommendations include prioritizing missing metadata elements, instituting training programs for repository staff, fostering collaboration among institutions, allocating resources for metadata management, and implementing comprehensive IR policies.