2026 ALISE Annual Conference

The Institutional Windows Framework (IWF) provides a theoretical synthesis for analyzing Open Access Institutional Repository (OAIR) policies in small liberal arts colleges. By merging Scott’s Institutional Theory with Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework, the IWF examines how structural pressures and dynamic policy streams converge to create "policy windows." Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, including document analysis, surveys, and qualitative interviews, this research maps organizational readiness and the influence of policy entrepreneurs. The framework offers a robust model for understanding decision episodes in resource-constrained environments, providing LIS scholars and practitioners with strategic insights into complex scholarly communication policy development.