DEVELOPING AN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH DIGITAL REPOSITORY: STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT AND QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

This paper presents the design and implementation of a digital Educational Research Digital Repository (ERDR) for academic staff at a Polytechnic in Singapore. The repository, hosted on the internal Polytechnic Library platform, was developed through close collaboration with the Polytechnics Library to ensure accurate metadata representation and user accessibility. It serves as a centralized and structured platform to capture and share scholarly research conducted by the polytechnic educators.To ensure strategic relevance and coherence, the repositorys categorization framework was aligned to five key educational research themes in the polytechnic: Competency-Based Learning, Flipped Learning, Learning Analytics, Learning Experience Design, and Technology-Enhanced Learning. These themes reflect current global trends in educational innovation and are strategically mapped to the polytechnic’s institutional goals, including Nurturing Future-Ready Learners, Engaging and Empowering People, Co-creating with Industry, Living Our Innovative Enterprising Culture, and Committing to Sustainability. This paper focuses on the alignment of digital repository strategies with broader institutional goals and quality assurance frameworks as well as the critical success factors and potential barriers in developing and maintaining a high-quality educational research digital repository in higher education settings. The paper also addresses quality assurance mechanisms and standards to ensure the reliability and sustainability of educational research digital repositories.