Re-posted:
From: Isabelle Bourgeault-Tasse
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 11:54 AM
I would like to alert you to an innovative initiative undertaken by
Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC). On December
23rd, IDRC announced its plans to create an Open Archive, the first among
Canadian Research Organizations. This archive will greatly enhance access
to the results of IDRC-funded research over the Internet and will provide
IDRC-funded researchers, including those from developing countries, with an
outlet to publish and showcase their work.
IDRC's Open Archive will keep in step with the global Open Access movement
that strives to promote a culture of knowledge sharing. As a research
organization, IDRC has always supported the dissemination of research and
its results and has championed transparency and freedom of access to
publicly funded research. New technologies have allowed IDRC to improve
its dissemination strategies and better serve the experts and Southern
researchers it supports.
This is an exciting development for Southern researchers whose costs of
accessing research literature and difficulties in having research published
in traditional journals have significantly restricted the development of
their research capacity. The Open Archive will engage these researchers in
the international dialogue on important development issues and increase the
impact of their research. The Open Archive will lend strength to the
voices of the developing world and its researchers, reducing the
traditional barriers of publication and knowledge sharing.
IDRC is currently exploring open source applications including the
Massachusetts's Institute of Technology's (MIT) DSpace and the University
of Southampton's Eprint software.
For your convenience, please find the text of the December 23, 2005 press
release in the body of this email, as well as its weblink:
http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-92447-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
IDRC Champions Intellectual Platform for Developing Countries
Ottawa, Canada, December 23, 2005 Canada's International Development
Research Centre (IDRC) is pleased to announce plans to create an Open
Archive, the first among Canadian research funding organizations. The Open
Archive will provide full access over the Internet to IDRC's rich research
archive. In addition to making information more freely available, this
initiative will provide IDRC-funded researchers with a much-needed outlet
to publish and showcase their work.
The world of scholarly communications is rapidly changing.The emerging
culture of protecting intellectual property, soaring costs of accessing
research literature, and difficulties in having research published in
traditional journals arerestricting the development of research capacity in
the South.
The Open Archive will help Southern researchers to engage in the
international dialogue on important development issues and increase the
impact of their research.
Throughout its 35-year history, IDRC has believed that to bring about
positive change in people's lives, knowledge shouldbe shared.Research
results and documents generated by IDRC-supported projects, IDRC
recipients, and IDRC staff represent a tangible intellectual output of the
Centre's mandate.
The Open Archive will streamline and centralize the capture of IDRC project
outputs and research documents. It will raise the visibility and facilitate
the retrieval of the vast array of IDRCmaterialsby consolidating them in a
well-managed, indexed, secure, and permanent location.
As a first step, IDRC will build a demonstration model in early 2006.
By creating an Open Archive, IDRC promotes transparency of its
results-based research and participates in the global movement to remove
barriers economic, social, and geographic to the sharing of knowledge.
About IDRC
Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is one of the
world's leading institutions in the generation and application of new
knowledge to meet the challenges of international development. For more
than 30 years, IDRC has worked in close collaboration with researchers from
the developing world to build healthier, more equitable, and more
prosperous societies.
For information:
Isabelle Bourgeault-Tassé
ibourgeault-tasse_at_idrc.ca
Conseillère principale aux médias / Senior Media Advisor
Centre de recherches pour le développement international (CRDI)
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
(+1-613) 236-6163, poste/ext. 2343
Received on Tue Jan 17 2006 - 18:57:05 GMT