National Taiwan University Repository (NTUR)

Overview

The National Taiwan University Repository (NTUR) is the institutional repository of National Taiwan University (NTU), located in Taipei, Taiwan. Built on an enhanced version of the DSpace platform developed by NTU Library, NTUR archives the university's academic research output—including journal articles, conference papers, theses, dissertations, and research reports—and provides open, full-text searchable access to these materials.

History and Founding

National Taiwan University was established in 1928 as Taihoku Imperial University under Japanese colonial rule. NTU Library was built in the same year to support academic research, and since 1945, when the institution was handed over to the Republic of China and renamed National Taiwan University, it has continued to expand its collections and services. The NTU Library's main building was officially opened to the public in November 1998 after twelve years of planning and construction.

The NTUR was developed by NTU Library using DSpace version 1.4 as a base, with significant modifications to meet the specific needs of Taiwanese academic users. The repository was adopted by several other Taiwanese universities, including National Chengchi University and National Chiao Tung University, which used the NTU-enhanced version. The NTUR was later integrated into the NTU Scholars platform, which combines the repository with the Academic Hub to create a comprehensive system for managing, preserving, and promoting research output.

Collections and Holdings

NTUR archives journal articles, conference papers, research reports, theses, and dissertations produced by NTU faculty and researchers. The library's broader collections include over 50,000 rare books in Chinese and other languages—the largest such holding of any university library in Taiwan—along with the Tan-Hsin Tang An (judiciary archive of the Tamsui and Hsin-chu area), Ming editions of stitched binding books, the Rekidai Hoan (diplomatic archive of the Ryukyu Kingdom), a collection of European incunabula, and extensive materials on Taiwan history, Southeast Asia, and the Japanese colonial period.

Access and Usage

NTUR is freely accessible online. Faculty members are encouraged to submit their works for archiving to increase visibility and academic impact. Full-text searching is supported. The repository is accessible at ntur.lib.ntu.edu.tw.