Disseminating the Outputs of Agricultural Research in Africa [Article and Abstract]

Abstract

Effective access to public domain scientific knowledge is critical to a broad range of stakeholders and communities across Africa to develop and apply solutions for rural development and to improved rural livelihoods. This paper describes the development of pilot networks implemented in Ghana and Kenya to facilitate open access to public domain research information through digital repositories that make agricultural research outputs accessible to all.   The networks were developed over three years drawing on the resources, tools, and technologies available from FAO through the AGRIS network and from other sources.  Strong progress was made in these pilot national networks of institutional repositories, with enabling policies formulated through participatory approaches and significant quantities of full text content now accessible in digital format. The experiences and lessons learned gained by these initiatives have been fed into the development of the framework for the CIARD initiative in 2009, and these pilot networks are set to expand to national level.