The CIARD Fair - a new online facility to improve research communication

The latest development of the CIARD (Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development) initiative has been launched on its website – namely the CIARD virtual Fair. For those who are involved in the capture, management and communication of research information and knowledge, the Fair provides a rich environment for discovery, learning and sharing.

The CIARD initiative works to make public domain outputs of agricultural research information and knowledge truly publicly available and accessible to all. The initiative, started in 2008, is led by a group of major international organizations, all with a long-standing role in enhancing the sharing of information and knowledge arising from agricultural research.

The CIARD Fair is an innovative resource that allows visitors to navigate through three routes: the ‘Pathways’ – describing in detail ways to share research outputs more effectively; ‘Services’ – which are standards, tools, systems and training for achieving the Pathways; and ‘Enablers’ - the organizations that provide Services for achieving the Pathways. Visitors can explore the different routes through the Fair according to their specific interests. Each Pathway, Service and Enabler is linked to further more detailed information and shows ways to explore other resources on the Internet. Navigation through the interconnected elements of the Fair is intuitive and is designed to provide an information-rich environment for the visitor.

Organizations can show services and products in the Fair which will be useful to those investigating and learning about the opening up and sharing of research information and knowledge, and there are currently 18 Enablers and 27 Services included in the current Fair. The CIARD partners are eager to develop the Fair by encouraging new enabling organizations and services to get involved.

You can explore the Fair at the CIARD site