public funded web resources - sustainable?

Should all the web resources produced during a publicly funded project be required to store them sustainably?









By sustainably I mean that:

• Hosting option should keep the resource on-line after the money for the project or organisation is no longer available;
• Ownership the resources can be transferred easily;
• Content should be relatively easily transferred either to other sites or archived in an accessible way.

I think the answer is yes and possibly it should be part of the funding criteria. We are talking about using a scarce resource public money, to get the best value for that money if a resource has been developed using that money it should be available for those who paid for it. If a resource was worth investing in, why wouldn't it be worth something later. The nature of the resource may change with time, possible going from a resource about current activity to be a resource of historic interest.

A JISC funded project "Sustaining "At Risk" Online Resources" in 2011 invested in three projects looking at moving "At Risk" web resources to more sustainable forms.

• Enhancing the Sustainability of the East Midlands Knowledge Network
• RDInfo - a sustainable source of research funding knowledge for Health and Social Sciences
• Sustainable Access Grid Recordings #SustainedMAGIC