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Ithaka S+R (Strategy and Research) is the research and advisory arm of ITHAKA, a nonprofit whose stated mission is to improve access to knowledge and education for people around the world. It is a research service, not a bibliographic database or a preservation repository: it publishes studies on higher education, libraries and the research enterprise.
What Is Ithaka S+R?
Ithaka S+R is part of ITHAKA, the nonprofit that also provides JSTOR, a research and teaching platform, and Portico, a community-supported preservation service for e-journals, ebooks and other scholarly resources. ITHAKA describes the Ithaka S+R role as research and strategy work on expanding access to higher education and improving student and workforce outcomes. The search variant “ithaka s r” refers to the same organization.
To place Ithaka S+R in the wider information landscape, see what is library science and what is information science. For the platform most readers meet first, see is JSTOR a database.
Who Runs It and What It Covers
Its own About page describes three kinds of work: action-oriented research, a hub for collaboration, and interventions and technology products. Its publications are tagged by topic. Topics shown on the publications page include:
- Generative AI
- Libraries
- Justice initiatives
- Credit mobility
- Access to higher education
Its publications also include national survey reports. For example, the publications page lists a report titled “US Library Survey 2025” (dated 14 May 2026) under a “US Library Survey” tag.
How to Find Its Publications
Ithaka S+R publishes on its own site at sr.ithaka.org. The publications page lists items by type, and offers a “Filter by” control with a Topics filter and a Date Range field. The publication types shown are:
- Research Report
- Issue Brief
- Playbook
Check each item’s page for its own access and download terms.
Strengths and Limits
- Strength: it is a dedicated research organization focused on higher education, libraries and the research enterprise, with work organized by topic.
- Strength: it sits alongside JSTOR and Portico within ITHAKA, so its subject area connects closely to scholarly publishing and preservation. Related reading: JSTOR Daily.
- Limit: it is not a journal or book index. To find primary research articles, use a database such as JSTOR.
- Limit: it is a research and advisory service; its reports offer analysis and recommendations rather than binding standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ithaka S+R the same as JSTOR?
No. Both are part of ITHAKA. JSTOR is a research and teaching platform, while Ithaka S+R is the research and strategy service that publishes studies on higher education and libraries.
Who operates Ithaka S+R?
ITHAKA, a nonprofit with a mission to improve access to knowledge and education for people around the world.
What does Ithaka S+R publish?
Its publications page lists Research Reports, Issue Briefs and Playbooks, filterable by topic and date.
Does Ithaka S+R run a library survey?
Its publications page lists a “US Library Survey 2025” report under a “US Library Survey” tag.
Sources
All pages checked on 2026-11-07.
- Ithaka S+R. “About.” https://sr.ithaka.org/about/
- Ithaka S+R. “Publications.” https://sr.ithaka.org/publications/
- ITHAKA. Home page. https://www.ithaka.org/
