Researchers and farmers in Burkina Faso benefit from AGORA

A recent video illustrates how INERA (Institut de l'Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles), Burkina Faso's leading institute for agricultural and environmental research, is using the Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) programme to access online scientific research journals with information on fertilizers and dosages, including a focus on maximizing production.

View the video / download the press release (PDF)

Research4Life website launched today

In London this morning, the Research4Life partnership website was launched at the World Conference of Science Journalists.

Research4Life is the collective name given to HINARI, AGORA, and OARE, the three public-private partnership programs of the WHO, FAO, UNEP, Cornell and Yale Universities and the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers.

Speaking in London today, Andrew Plume (Associate Director of Scientometrics and Market Analysis at Elsevier) showed data suggesting that Research4Life has a "profound impact on the scholarly landscape" in the countries where the partnership is active.

His analysis of data from the Thomson Reuters database shows a "dramatic rise in research outputs by scientists in the developing world since 2002." The study compared growth in research outputs for the periods 1996-2002 and 2002-2008 - before and after HINARI was launched.

His data showed growth of research publications in countries that are 'non-eligible' for Research4Life to be 67% in the 2002-2008 period. In the same period, Research4Life 'Band 1' countries (institutes get free access) reported 145% growth while 'Band 2' countries (institutes pay a small fee) reported 194% growth.

According to Plume: "We can attribute this, at least in part, to the provision of literature through the Research4Life programme."

It seems that these initiatives are improving the abilities of scientists from developing countries to publish in international peer-reviewed journals.

Note: the analysis is based on peer reviewed publications outputs in the Thomson Reuters database and does not include other factors such as changes in levels of research funding, improved connectivity, or efforts of other initiatives. [See also critical blog post]

The video explains how Research4Life helps researchers in Kenya:



More videos from research4Life

AGORA en Bolivia: mejorando el acceso a la investigación para la vida.

Muchos países en desarrollo carecen de acceso a la información y formación que pueden ayudar a salvar vidas, mejorar la calidad de vida, y ayudar con el desarrollo económico. Para hacer frente a esta disparidad, la alianza cooperativa público-privada entre organismos de las Naciones Unidas, editores, universidades, fundaciones filantrópicas y socios tecnológicos como MICROSOFT, presenta varios programas únicos (HINARI, AGORA y OARE).

En conjunto ofrecen acceso gratuito o a bajo costo a más de 7,500 publicaciones científicas periódicas en 74 países en desarrollo. Uno de estos (AGORA – Acceso a la Investigación Mundial en Línea en el Sector Agrícola) es liderado por la FAO y junto con importantes socios y colaboradores, ofrece en Internet, una colección digital sobresaliente con mas de 1270 publicaciones periódicas en más de 1600 organizaciones en el mundo.

“El objetivo final de AGORA es mejorar la seguridad alimentaria mediante el aumento de la calidad y la eficacia de la investigación agrícola, la educación y la formación en los países en desarrollo”, destaca Franz Martin, Oficial en Administración de la FAO, quien conduce el programa para América Latina y El Caribe. En esta región, se han llevado a cabo varias actividades colaborativas que han permitido alfabetizar en información sobre AGORA a más de 300 individuos de países como Colombia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Perú, entre otros.

Recientemente se lleva a cabo dos talleres más en Bolivia (La Paz, 2, 4 y 5 junio) para fortalecer las capacidades en el uso y aprovechamiento de AGORA en más de 115 individuos (investigadores, docentes, profesionales de información, agentes de extensión y estudiantes) de organizaciones del pais andino vinculados a la alimentación, agricultura y ciencias afines. Ambos son organizados por la FAO (Representación en Bolivia y Oficina para América Latina y El Caribe) en colaboración con la Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA – Facultad de Medicina y Nutrición), El Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS – Perú) y el grupo de profesionales de información agraria de AIBDA-Bolivia.

Ver fotografías de los talleres.

PMN Provides Journal Access to Countries with Developing Economies

Access to all Plant Management Network online journals and resources is now available at no or reduced cost to institutions in more than 100 of the world’s poorest countries. Access is facilitated by a program titled Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture or AGORA, a cooperative initiative that provides free or low-cost journal access.

By contributing it's journals to AGORA, PMN joins the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other publishers in providing libraries in developing countries an outstanding digital collection of over 1,100 journals in food, agriculture, and related sciences. PMN’s contribution includes the journals Crop Management, Forage and Grazinglands, Plant Health Progress, and Applied Turfgrass Science.

The goal of AGORA is to increase the quality and effectiveness of agricultural research, education, and training in low-income countries and, in turn, improve food security. Miles Wimer, PMN's director, said, "We are proud to be able to participate in the AGORA project. PMN is a self-sustaining, not-for-profit effort that funds itself through partnerships and institutional subscription sales in the developed world. As paid subscriptions increase, subscribing libraries can claim a role in supporting PMN's ability to share its resources at AGORA-qualified institutions."

The Plant Management Network is a cooperative not-for-profit resource for the applied agricultural and horticultural sciences. Designed to provide practitioners fast electronic access to proven solutions, PMN offers four peer-reviewed journals, proceedings, field trials publications, image collections, and an extensive searchable database comprised of thousands of web-based resource pages from the Network's partner universities, companies, and not-for-profit scientific societies.

Tags: agricultural information agora pmn