OR2012 Developer Challenge:
Cross-Repository Mobile Application

We would like to pitch the idea of a mobile application that would allow people to search and explore full-text resources stored across Open Access repositories. The full-text of each resource can be downloaded to the mobile device (phone or tablet) and can be used for off-line reading. For example, it can be added to the iBooks application on iOS devices or viewed in Acrobat Reader on Android devices. Since all resources come from Open Access repositories, the service doesn’t require any subscription and is completely free of charge. The service provides benefits for both consumers of content (researchers, students, etc.) as well as repositories themselves. After setting up a repository and registering it with this service, the repository content is immediately available from the mobile devices. No need to install any code on the repository side.

The application should be available for the two main mobile operating systems (Android and iOS) and should work on both tablets and smartphones. Because iOS applications are developed in Objective C and Android applications in Java, it is necessary to develop two clients and register them in the iTunes Store and the Android Market (Play Store). These clients need to be supported by a server application that will provide a seamless layer over Open Access repository content. This application will provide an API for the mobile clients.