Conceptions for Financing a Universal, Open, Repository Hosting and Communication Platform for Web-Based Knowledge Resources

Abstract

Abstract The subject of this paper are alternative funding schemes for a planned universal, open, repository hosting and communication platform for web-based knowledge resources for science, education and an open knowledge society. An attempt is made to estimate the amount of funding needed by analysing the costs of procuring content from foreign and domestic sources, the digitization of library resources, capital expenditures and operating expenses of the institution that will manage the SYNAT platform. Assuming that access to knowledge resources will be free of charge for specified groups or all users, the potential revenue generated by the platform is defined - mainly: directly or indirectly from the national budget and supplementally from private sources. The possible organizational and legal forms of the institution administering the SYNAT platform - public and private sector entities - are reviewed in terms of the certainty and elasticity of funding by the national budget as well as other sources, ensuring the on-going operation of the scientific and technical information system.