Open Access and Institutional Repositories in Agricultural Sciences: Th e Case of Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) [abstract and article]
Abstract
The Internet hasmade it easy to create digital collections and make them readily accessible. Academic and research institutions in developing countries generate an enormous amount of information. Most of the information exists as grey
literature and is often difficult to collect, store, preserve and
make accessible to users. In addition, developing countries are
facing barriers in access to scholarly information due to financial
constraints. One way of overcoming these problems is to
promote open access (OA) and institutional repositories (IR).
OA and IRs are indispensable for academic and research institutions in developing countries because access to adequate, timely and relevant information is imperative to improve research and development in the agricultural sector. This paper explores OA and IRs from practical perspectives. It describes the Botswana College of Agriculture Library’s IR as a case study, including lessons learned in establishing and running the IR.
literature and is often difficult to collect, store, preserve and
make accessible to users. In addition, developing countries are
facing barriers in access to scholarly information due to financial
constraints. One way of overcoming these problems is to
promote open access (OA) and institutional repositories (IR).
OA and IRs are indispensable for academic and research institutions in developing countries because access to adequate, timely and relevant information is imperative to improve research and development in the agricultural sector. This paper explores OA and IRs from practical perspectives. It describes the Botswana College of Agriculture Library’s IR as a case study, including lessons learned in establishing and running the IR.
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