Establishment of the Institutional Research Repository by Fiji Institute of the Pacific Health Research 2021-2023

Introduction
Establishing research repositories is crucial for academic institutions as it improves accessibility, encourages collaboration, preserves academic work, supports evidence-based policymaking, enhances research quality, and facilitates academic progress. Investing in and maintaining a research repository can significantly strengthen research infrastructure and contribute to global knowledge in the Pacific Island Countries (PIC). The establishment of the FNU-CMNHS FIPHR Research Repository was made possible through the support of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community via the PacEVIPP Grant in 2021 to 2023. Its primary purpose is to gather, preserve, promote, and disseminate research and scholarly outputs written by CMNHS staff and students including those affiliated with CMNHS.

Methodology: Through consultation with CMNHS-Schools and Research Centres, research output was sourced from, including those available from our technical partners on health-related research in the Pacific to be uploaded to the repository. Ongoing discussion and agreement with CMNHS management for ongoing uploading of research outputs from their staff and students. A software company[E-print] was engaged in developing the repository database through consultation and collaboration with University IT.

Results: 3917 research output is available in the repository to date, whereby 95.4% of these are published articles, followed by grey items such as CMNHS Master’s Thesis (3.7%) and other items (0.9%). Of these,9,527 downloads were made from all over the globe with over 3000 in the US alone, followed by China, Australia and New Zealand then the Pacific Island Countries (15%). Fiji, PNG and Samoa are the 3 most PICs that visit the FIPHR Research repository as of June 2024.Based on those we can say that the FIPHR repository is a dynamic and sought-after resource for researchers from the Pacific and beyond.

Conclusion: The establishment of repository have an impact on research in the pacific by significantly enhancing the accessibility, visibility, and preservation of research outputs that lead to increased engagement, improved research quality, and strengthened collaborative efforts with respective stakeholders. To conclude, continued support and strategic enhancements will ensure the repository remains a vital resource for the academic and research community in Fiji and the Pacific region