December 2006 - LIS-Forum - ncsi.iisc.ernet.in

Digit Supplement on Google
by Farooque Shaheen 06 Dec '06

06 Dec '06

Dear Professional, This month Digit magazine has come up with a supplement on Google. It'll help you to use google services more effectively. You may also find some books on the same topic in the market. Thanks & Regards, Farooque Shaheen, Caritor India (P) Ltd. Tel. 080-26678388 Ext. 4105 VOIP- 40366 Dear Professional, � � � � � � � � � � � � � �This month Digit magazine has come up with a supplement on Google. It'll help you to use google services more effectively. You may also find some books on the same topic in the market. � � � � � � � � Thanks & Regards, Farooque Shaheen, Caritor India (P) Ltd. Tel. 080-26678388 Ext. 4105 VOIP- 40366

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Higher education in India
by Subbiah Arunachalam 06 Dec '06

06 Dec '06

Friends: Here is an article from the International Herald Tribune on collegiate and university education in India. It says quoting a NASSCOM report, that only 10% of college graduates (and 25% of engineering graduates) are employable. I fully agree with that statement. Even century-old universities are in doldrums. Urgent refoerms are needed in the higher education sector. Let us hope the nowledge Commission comes up with some good and implementable ideas. Best wishes. Arun [Subbiah Arunachalam] ----------------------- For many Indians, higher education does more harm than good By Anand Giridharadas / International Herald Tribune Published: November 26, 2006 MUMBAI - It would seem a good time to be Kinjal Bhuptani. She is a college student studying business in the financial capital of one of hottest economies on earth. But she has no illusions of sharing in India's newfound prosperity when she graduates from Hinduja College this spring. While others land $100,000-a- year jobs at Goldman Sachs and Microsoft, she is more likely to make $4 a day selling credit cards door to door. Bhuptani's mistake, if you can call it that, was not getting into one of India's most elite universities, like the Indian Institutes of Management or Indian Institutes of Technology. Those who are admitted go on to enjoy big paychecks on Wall Street and to manage some of the world's largest companies. In the shadow of those elite institutions, most of the 11 million students in the 18,000 Indian colleges and universities receive starkly inferior training, heavy on obeisance and light on marketable skills, students, educators and business leaders say. All but a tiny handful of graduates are considered unemployable by top global and local companies. "We might as well not have studied," Bhuptani said. The Indian educational system is locking millions of students in the bottom berth of a two-tier economy, critics argue, depriving the country of the fullest expression of their talents and denying students a chance to share in the fruits of reform. The problem, experts say, is in a classroom environment that infantilizes students well into their mid-20s, emphasizing silent note-taking and discipline at the expense of analysis, debate and persuasion. Students at second- and third-tier colleges suffer not because of a dearth of technical ability or intelligence, critics note. Most simply lack the "soft skills" sought by a new generation of employers but still not taught by change-resistant colleges: the ability to speak crisp English with a placeless accent, to design and give PowerPoint presentations, to write in logically ordered paragraphs, to work collegially in teams, to grasp the nuances of leadership. "It's almost literally a matter of life and death for them," said Kiran Karnik, president of the National Association of Software and Services Companies, an influential trade body that represents many of India's leading employers. A study that the group published last year concluded that just 10 percent of Indian graduates with generalist degrees were considered employable by major companies, compared with 25 percent of engineers. "The university has become a placeholder," said Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a former Harvard professor who recently resigned in frustration from the National Knowledge Commission, a panel advising the Indian government on overhauling its education system. India is one of those rare countries where you become less able to find a job the more educated you get. College graduates suffer from higher jobless rates - 17 percent in the 2001 census - than high school graduates. But even as graduates complain of the paucity of jobs, companies across India lament a lack of skilled talent. The paradox is explained, experts say, by the poor quality of the undergraduate experience. India's thousands of colleges are swallowing millions of new students every year, only to spit out degree holders that no one wants to hire. The differences between elite colleges and those attended by the majority can be striking. St. Stephens College in New Delhi, one of the country's best-known colleges, counts among its alumni a well-known novelist (Amitav Ghosh), a top United Nations official (Shashi Tharoor), and a former president of Pakistan (General Muhammad Zia-ul- Haq), and offers an illustration, through contrast, of what lesser institutions lack. P. Jacob Cherian, the acting principal, said the essential difference was a focus on leadership and communication skills, neglected at most other institutions. As on leading Western campuses, the students have frequent chances to meet and attend speeches by prominent leaders. "It's when you practice the skills that you actually learn them," Cherian said. But outside elite enclaves like St. Stephens, tertiary education is an exercise in drudgery. Take, for example, Hinduja College in Mumbai. It is in one of India's richest enclaves, but it is a second-tier, no-name school, exemplifying a middling college experience. Between lectures, dozens of students swarmed around a reporter to complain about their education. "What the market wants and what the school provides are totally different," said Sohail Kutchi, a commerce student. The students said they were not learning to communicate effectively, even as mainstay activities in the Indian economy evolve from pushing papers to answering phones and making presentations. There were few chances to work in groups or hold discussions. And in this purportedly English-language college, the professors used bad grammar and spoke in thick accents. Education experts argue that students are also graduating without the ability to assess problems and find creative solutions, in large part because their professors encourage them to be meek and obsequious. "Out! Out! Close the door! Close the door!" a management professor barked at a student who entered his classroom at Hinduja two minutes late. A second student, caught whispering, was asked to stand up for the duration of class. At Hinduja, the mode of instruction is often more evocative of a communist re- education camp than a modern campus. That is bad news for Indian companies, which are on a hiring binge. Infosys, a leading outsourcing company, will take on 25,000 new people this year, from a pool of 1.5 million applicants. The rejected are likely to include many smart graduates who merely lack skills like communication, poise and global exposure, said Mohandas Pai, director of human resources at Infosys. "You might be very bright," he said, "but since you are studying in the vernacular you cannot speak good English. You are not taught presentation skills in your college, so you lose out." Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

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collection of the papers of Harold Varmus, Nobel Laureate
by Mailing List Manager 06 Dec '06

06 Dec '06

Date: Sun, 3 Dec 2006 18:00:26 +0000 (GMT) From: Subbiah Arunachalam <subbiah_a(a)yahoo.com> Friends: Here is a news item I read and in a way it made me a bit sad. --- Papers of Harold Varmus The National Library of Medicine has released an OA collection of the papers of Harold Varmus, Nobel laureate, former director of the NIH, president and director of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and co-founder of the Public Library of Science. Sloan-Kettering has its own collection. (Thanks to Klaus Graf.) --- Why am I sad? It is very good that whoever wants to read the papers of Prof. Varmus can read all of them in full text. That makes me happy. But what about the papers of the great scientists of India? For example, when are we going to digitize and make available through open access repositories the collected works of Srinivasa Ramanujan, C V Raman, Meghnad Saha, Satyen Bose, J C Bose, G N Ramachandran, C R Rao, C N R Rao and several others? Years ago, CSIR brought out the collected papers of Meghnad Saha in print. Indeed, INSA and IASc should join hands and digitize the collected works of all their Fellows - both current and past - and make them available through an interoperable repository. Also, Best wishes. Arun [Subbiah Arunachalam] ___________________________________________________________ To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com

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Re: [LIS-Forum] Announcement of 5th International Convention CALIBER-2007
by K Prakash 06 Dec '06

06 Dec '06

Hello, Ok, thanks. Here is the required information. Theme: Information and Knowledge Management in Networked World Dates: 8-10th February, 2007 Venue: Panjab University, Chandigarh With best regards. Bye. ________________________________________________ K Prakash ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mankad, Manish" <Manish.Mankad(a)unilever.com> To: "K Prakash" <prakash(a)inflibnet.ac.in>; <lis-forum(a)ncsi.iisc.ernet.in> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 9:11 AM Subject: RE: [LIS-Forum] Announcement of 5th International ConventionCALIBER-2007 > I have a suggestion. > > Please provide, the Location and dates of such events in the first line > itself. > The detailed email below does not indicate this obvious information. > > Regards. > > -MANISH MANKAD > Information services > > Tel: 080 39830958 > > Hindustan Lever Research Centre > 64, Main Road, > Whitefield > Bangalore, 560066 > INDIA

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Softpedia
by sandeep bhavsar 05 Dec '06

05 Dec '06

Respected All Please have a look at this site ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FREE SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS http://www.softpedia.com/ Waiting for your feedback Best Regards Sandeep Bhavsar Librarian Dr. V.N.Bedekar Institute of Management Studies Thane(W). 400601 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ email : sandeep.bhavsar(a)gmail.com Mob : 09870484626 elibrary : http://www.vpmthane.org/im/elib/main.htm @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com Please have a look at this site ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FREE SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS http://www.softpedia.com/ Waiting for your feedback Best Regards Sandeep Bhavsar Librarian Dr. V.N.Bedekar Institute of Management Studies Thane(W). 400601 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ email : sandeep.bhavsar(a)gmail.com Mob : 09870484626 elibrary : http://www.vpmthane.org/im/elib/main.htm @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

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Lecture invitation
by srels＠vsnl.com 05 Dec '06

05 Dec '06

Dear Moderator : Please announce the following invitation to a lecture organized by the SRELS, Bangalore. Thanking you, Sincerely, K.N. Prasad Executive Officer Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science 702, 42nd Cross, 3rd Block, Rajajinagar, Bangalore 560 010 Ph: (080) 23305109 Email: srels(a)vsnl.com ** *** ** Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science (SRELS), Bangalore Cordially invites you to a Special Lecture on VIRTUAL REFERENCE SERVICES by Prof. Achim Osswald Professor, Institute of Information Science, University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Germany on Wednesday, 6th December 2006 at 6.00 p.m. at SRELS, 702, 42nd Cross, 3rd Block, Rajajinagar, Bangalore 560 010 Prof. I.K. Ravichandra Rao Head, Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore presides RSVP: K.N. Prasad - Ph: (080) 23305109 Email: srels(a)vsnl.com Dear Moderator : Please announce the following invitation to a lecture organized by the SRELS, Bangalore. Thanking you, Sincerely, K.N. Prasad Executive Officer Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science 702, 42nd Cross, 3rd Block, Rajajinagar, Bangalore 560 010 Ph: (080) 23305109 Email: mailto:srels@vsnl.com srels(a)vsnl.com ** *** ** Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science (SRELS), Bangalore Cordially invites you to a Special Lecture on VIRTUAL REFERENCE SERVICES by Prof. Achim Osswald Professor, Institute of Information Science, University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Germany on Wednesday, 6th December 2006 at 6.00 p.m. at SRELS, 702, 42nd Cross, 3rd Block, Rajajinagar, Bangalore 560 010 Prof. I.K. Ravichandra Rao Head, Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore presides RSVP: K.N. Prasad - Ph: (080) 23305109 Email: mailto:srels@vsnl.com srels(a)vsnl.com

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DRTC Colloquium (1) 2006-08
by Ehtesham 05 Dec '06

05 Dec '06

INDIAN STATISTICAL INSTITUTE DOCUMENTATION RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTRE 8th Mile Mysore Road, Bangalore-560059 DRTC Colloquium - 1 (2006-08) KNOWLEDGE ORGANISATION IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT ABSTRACT Library professionals have developed many knowledge organisation tools, which can be grouped under term lists, classification and categories; and relationship lists. Since the concept of modern library was introduced, these tools have been used to enhance retrieval. But the scenario has changed a lot in the context of digital information resources. Problems in organising digital content differ from those in the traditional environment. While the issues like unidimensional arrangement of books on the shelves are not there in the digital environment, new issues (e.g. the volume of resources, problems of directionless hypertext navigation, etc) have emerged. How far the traditional tools can help us to handle these new problems? What are the new and innovative tools being developed to handle these problems? In this colloquium, we propose to discuss some of these. TOPICS SPEAKERS 1. Introduction Mithun Raj M. 2. Knowledge Organisation Systems : An Overview Mita Sarkar 3. Evolution of Knowledge Organisation Systems Ayesha Khatoon 4. Emerging Digital Environment and Knowledge Organisation Syed Raiyan Ghani 5. Traditional Knowledge Organisation Tools in the Digital Environment Radha Rani Rit 6. Newer Knowledge Organisation Technologies Sanjeev Kumar Sunny 7. Conclusion Anila S. Venue :DRTC Classroom Date : 7th of December Time : 2:00 pm All are cordially invited Dr.K.S. Raghavan (Colloquium Coordinator) MD EHTESHAM H-11,ISI HOSTELS ADIS 1st year (DRTC) INDIAN STATISTICAL INSTITUTE 8TH MILE, MYSORE ROAD, BANGALORE - 560059 MOB - 09886687105 INDIAN STATISTICAL INSTITUTE DOCUMENTATION RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTRE 8th Mile Mysore Road, Bangalore-560059 DRTC Colloquium - 1 (2006-08) KNOWLEDGE ORGANISATION IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT ABSTRACT Library professionals have developed many knowledge organisation tools, which can be grouped under term lists, classification and categories; and relationship lists. Since the concept of modern library was introduced, these tools have been used to enhance retrieval. But the scenario has changed a lot in the context of digital information resources. Problems in organising digital content differ from those in the traditional environment. While the issues like unidimensional arrangement of books on the shelves are not there in the digital environment, new issues (e.g. the volume of resources, problems of directionless hypertext navigation, etc) have emerged. How far the traditional tools can help us to handle these new problems? What are the new and innovative tools being developed to handle these problems? In this colloquium, we propose to discuss some of these. TOPICS SPEAKERS 1. Introduction Mithun Raj M. 2. Knowledge Organisation Systems : An Overview Mita Sarkar 3. Evolution of Knowledge Organisation Systems Ayesha Khatoon 4. Emerging Digital Environment and Knowledge Organisation Syed Raiyan Ghani 5. Traditional Knowledge Organisation Tools in the Digital Environment Radha Rani Rit 6. Newer Knowledge Organisation Technologies Sanjeev Kumar Sunny 7. Conclusion Anila S. Venue :DRTC Classroom Date : 7th of December Time : 2:00 pm All are cordially invited Dr.K.S. Raghavan (Colloquium Coordinator) MD EHTESHAM H-11,ISI HOSTELS ADIS 1st year (DRTC) INDIAN STATISTICAL INSTITUTE 8TH MILE, MYSORE ROAD, BANGALORE - 560059 MOB - 09886687105 http://adworks.rediff.com/cgi-bin/AdWorks/sigclick.cgi/www.rediff.com/signa… http://adworks.rediff.com/cgi-bin/AdWorks/sigimpress.cgi/www.rediff.com/sig…

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SALIS-DCU-UNESCO one day Sensitization Workshop on Information Literacy (IL) at Delhi
by Arunachalam Hariharan 05 Dec '06

05 Dec '06

Dear friends and professional colleagues I am pleased to inform that One Day Sensitization Workshop on Information Literacy (IL) is jointly being organized by Society for the Advancement of Library and Information Science (SALIS) Delhi NCR Chapter and the Central Library of Delhi College of Engineering and supported by UNESCO on December 23, 2006. Eminent experts from reputed organizations will deliver lectures and tutorials. The contents of the workshop are: Information Literacy Overview Components of IL Information Literacy Models Information Literacy Competency Standards UNESCO/IFLA School/Public Library Manifesto ICT Literacy and ICT Technologies Objectives of Workshop To raise awareness about Information Literacy, its needs and uses To give an overview of Information Literacy, Information Literacy models and standards to LIS professionals To give an overview of ICT to the participants To facilitate LIS professionals to provide better information services to the end users Methodology: Lectures/Presentations Tutorials Discussions Resource Persons: Experts from reputed academic institutions, Govt. and IT field. Target Participants: LIS professional working in Delhi and near by regions. Preference will be given to young LIS professionals and students. No. of Participants: The number of participants is limited to 60. Mode of selection: The participants will be selected on the basis of age, qualification, nature of work, profile of the institutions etc. Registration Fee: NIL Traveling Allowance (TA): No TA/DA will be paid to the participants Last date for registration: December 18, 2006. Note: Brochure of the workshop is available on http://www.dce.edu/library/ or sends your request us via email by December 15, 2006. http://autolib-india.net/salis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Salis_info R. K. Shukla Organizing Secretary Delhi College of Engineering New Campus, Bawana Road Delhi - Pin Code: 110042 rkshukla(a)dce.edu , ramakant.shukla(a)gmail.com Phone: 9312359521 Sanjay Kataria Secretary, SALIS Delhi NCR Chapter Jaypee Institute of Information Technology University (Established Under section 3 of UGC Act, Vide Notification No. F9-27/2000-U 3 dated 1st November, 2004 Govt of India) A-10, Sector-62, Noida (UP)-201307 E-mail: salis.delhi(a)gmail.com , sanjay.kataria(a)jiit.ac.in Phone: 9810503341, 9213650818 ------------------------------------------------- A.Hariharan SALIS ____________________________________________________________________________________ Cheap talk? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates. http://voice.yahoo.com

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Announcement of 5th International Convention CALIBER-2007
by K Prakash 04 Dec '06

04 Dec '06

5th International Convention CALIBER-2007 "Information and Knowledge Management in Networked World" Call for Papers --------------- One decade into its expansion, the World-Wide Web is reaching ever-broader circles of society, transforming how people learn about our rapidly changing world. Knowledge Management is the methodology for systematically gathering, organizing, and disseminating knowledge. It essentially consists of processes and tools to effectively capture and share knowledge as well as use the knowledge of individuals within an organization. Knowledge management is certainly attracting attention, across business organizations and as well as in academic area also. The adoption of knowledge management as a concept or implementation as tool has yet to be demonstrated in academic environment. On the other hand, there is a conformity that the knowledge-based society has arrived, and that those organizations that will succeed in the global information society are those that can identify, value, create and evolve their knowledge assets. Many argue that knowledge has become the main competitive tool for many businesses. Exploiting knowledge can be a major competitive advantage for libraries, which can translate into better service to users. The knowledge management can help transform the library into a more efficient, knowledge sharing organization. Therefore, the fifth international conference CALIBER-2007 is to provide a communication platform for focus attention on knowledge management and revolving issues relevant to the higher education, institutions, organisations and academic libraries area. Programme committee solicits high quality technical papers related to the theme and sub-themes but are not limited to the following areas listed below Theme of the Conference ==================== "Information and Knowledge Management in Networked World" International CALIBER 2007 invites contributed papers and case studies on various aspects of the conference theme, as listed below as sub-themes of the conference: Sub-Theme of the Conference ======================= 1. Digital Libraries -------------------------- Digital Library architectures, models, integrated access interface Digital archiving, preservation and Sustainability: methodological, technical and legal issues Access to distributed and heterogeneous digital collections including Multilingual information Access and Multimedia Information Handling Digital library security and information protection Digital Library Applications: Trends & Future Digital library performance, resources, usefulness, usability and evaluation 2. Information and Knowledge Management ------------------------------------------------------------ KM Architecture, System Design, Applications and Practices Knowledge Assets, Barriers to knowledge Knowledge audits, benchmarks, maturity measures Knowledge discovery: databases and portals Knowledge Generation and Transfer Knowledge-based IT infrastructures and its role Challenges and Opportunities in KM 3. Innovations in Information Communication Technologies ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Distributed and heterogeneous digital collections: interoperability, scalability, relevant information discovery Indexing and Information Retrieval Security techniques Storage Models and Architecture Web technology and Evolving Search Engines Standards and Protocols 4. Towards Virtual Library ------------------------------------ The Roles of e-journals, e-books, and open access publishing in libraries E-publishing, open source movement, open access initiatives Institutional repositories and electronic resource sharing Digital divide, Digital Library Network and Information Sharing Human factors in Information Systems Integration User studies and system evaluation Editorial Policy (Part I) ================= CALIBER provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences among library communities throughout the world. The editors will receive contributions from all parts of the world. Criteria for acceptance will be appropriateness and its relevance to the Theme and sub-themes. Only papers not previously published will be accepted. Acceptance or otherwise will be at the discretion of the Editorial Committee. Completed papers will be required and information regarding these will be forwarded with the acceptance letter from the Convener of the CALIBER-2007 to the authors. However editors are requested to intimate to the authors about the receipt of the papers. In case of the paper is not up to the standard, only abstract can be included in the proceedings. Paper Submission ============== Editor-in-Chief, CALIBER 2007 Director, INFLIBNET Centre (An IUC of UGC) Gujarat University Campus PB 4116, Navrangpura Ahmedabad-380 009, (Gujarat) India Phone : +91-79-26304695 / 8528 / 5971 / 0002 Fax : +91-79-26300990/26307816 E-mail : director(a)inflibnet.ac.in OR caliber2007(a)inflibnet.ac.in Registration & Accommodation ======================== Registration ----------------- The conference registration fee is Rs. 1000/-. The delegates will be provided with convention kit, proceedings volume, lunch and tea (on two convention days only). TA/DA and accommodation charges will have to be borne by sponsoring organizations/participants. Please send your completed registration form along with the registration fee through Demand Draft drawn in favour of Organizing Secretary, CALIBER-2007, payable at Chandigarh to Dr. V. K. Anand, Organizing Secretary, CALIBER-2007 not later than January 15, 2007. DD should be drawn on nationalized banks only. Please note that delegate registration fee of Rs.1000/- for the CALIBER, does not include accommodation fee. Extra fees of Rs.100/- will be charged for spot registration Accommodation ----------------------- Accommodation can be arranged to the participants in the university campus and other sister institutions on first cum first basis provided intimation and advance booking charges are sent to the Organizing Secretary, CALIBER-2007, Panjab University, Chandigarh along with registration fee. If any participant intends to stay in a hotel, it may be arranged on actual payment basis provided intimation and advance booking charges. The details of the hotels and their tariffs will be announced soon. Registration Fees: please visit website http://web.inflibnet.ac.in/caliber2007/registration.htm Registration & Accommodation Dr. V. K. Anand Organizing Secretary, CALIBER-2007 Librarian , A.C. Joshi Library Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjab - INDIA. Phone: +91-172-2548159, 2534551 E-mail: pulib(a)pu.ac.in Mr. Manoj Kumar K. Convener, CALIBER-2007 Scientist - D (CS), INFLIBNET Centre (An IUC of UGC) Gujarat University Campus PB 4116, Navrangpura Ahmedabad-380 009, (Gujarat) India Phone : +91-79-26304695 / 8528 / 5971/ 0002 Fax : +91-79-26300990 / 26307816 E-mail : manoj(a)inflibnet.ac.in OR caliber2007(a)inflibnet.ac.in For more details please visit website http://www.inflibnet.ac.in/caliber2007/ With best regards. Bye. ________________________________________________ K Prakash Scientific/Technical Officer-I Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) Centre An Inter-University Centre of University Grants Commission Near Gujarat University Guest House Post Box No.4116, Navrangpura Ahmedabad - 380 009 India Phone: 91-079-2630 5971/2630 4695 Extn: 38(Off); 2676 3724(Res) Fax: 91-079-2630 0990/ 2630 7816 Mobile: 94270 00758 Email: prakash(a)inflibnet.ac.in; prakash_k(a)yahoo.com URL: http://www.inflibnet.ac.in/

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Fred Noronha on the B'lore workshop
by Mailing List Manager 04 Dec '06

04 Dec '06

Date: Sun, 3 Dec 2006 13:36:44 +0000 (GMT) From: Subbiah Arunachalam <subbiah_a(a)yahoo.com> Friends: Here is what Fred Noronha, Goa-based journalist and open source software champion, has written about the Bangalore workshop on electronic publishing and open access in SciDev.net. Arun [Subbiah arunachalam] ----- Scientists push open access for developing nations Scientists in developing countries hope to promote open access for scholarly articles Frederick Noronha 29 November 2006 Source: SciDev.Net Scientists from Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India and South Africa have set guidelines for developing countries to freely access publicly funded research. The success of their draft national policy will depend on whether the relevant governments, funders and research institutes adopt its recommendations. The guidelines were agreed at a workshop in Bangalore, India earlier this month (2-3 November) where 44 international participants including scientists and policymakers discussed ways to promote open access. Open access is the free online availability of digital content, especially of peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly journal articles. Scientists in the developing world have long complained that their work is invisible to scientists in North America and Europe, said Alma Swan, co-director of Key Perspectives Ltd, a UK consultancy company for scholarly information. "Now the developing world has the opportunity to create the level playing field it has so long cried out for," she told SciDev.Net. While participants agreed on the policy, there was lively debate on how to make governments adopt it, Barbara Kirsop, secretary of the UK-based Electronic Publishing Trust, told SciDev.Net. The participants said financial barriers prevented researchers in developing countries from accessing the research information they need. Their policy urges governments to require all publicly funded research published in peer-reviewed journals be deposited in an institutional digital database as soon as publication is accepted. This should be a condition for research funding for any papers partly or fully funded by the government. Eve Gray, a fellow at the Open Society Institute in South Africa said that policymakers in governments and institutions have the power to determine the reach of scientific research. "They can make [the research] instantly visible, or they can fail their staff," she told SciDev.Net. Large research funders in rich countries such as the Wellcome Trust and Research Councils United Kingdom, she argued, have recognised this and shown the way. The workshop revealed that Bioline, an online publisher for developing countries, saw a huge increase in requests for scholarly papers when it became open access. This shows "how much information was unused, unknown, un-accessed before open access", says Kirsop. She added that developing nations should lead the way towards promoting open access as "they have so much to gain and so much to contribute". The workshop was funded by the Open Society Institute and organised by the Indian Academy of Sciences, the Indian Institute of Science and the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. * Related SciDev.Net articles: Universities urged: 'share benefits of health research' Scientists get free access to environment journals China unveils plans to boost scientific data sharing

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