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FAO closes information gap with free journals
More than 100 of the world's poorest countries will now
be able to access leading food and agriculture journals for little or no cost
with the launch of the second phase of the Global Online Research in Agriculture
(AGORA) initiative, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the
United Nations (FAO).
AGORA is a public-private partnership between the
FAO, 37 of the world's leading
science publishers and other key partners including the
World Health Organisation and
Cornell University. Introduced in 2003 and providing
access to 69 low-income countries, AGORA now expands to include universities,
colleges, research institutes and government ministries as well as
non-governmental organisations in an additional 37 lower-middle-income
countries.
AGORA responds to the needs of thousands of students, researchers and
academics in poorer countries, who continue to face challenges accessing
up-to-date information which is vital to their work.
“We have seen from the first phase of this initiative that there is
increasing demand for access to vital information by poorer countries. In less
than three years, AGORA has already helped bridge the knowledge gap by providing
850 institutions access to more than 900 journals in the areas of agriculture
and related subjects,†notes Anton Mangstl, Director of FAO's Library and
Documentation Systems Division.
Under the second phase of AGORA now launched, 37 countries with a per
capita GNP of between US$1000 and US$3000 will be eligible. Institutions wishing
to register will have a three-month free trial period before they are asked to
pay an annual subscription of US$1000. The FAO will invest all subscription
income into local training initiatives to help increase awareness and usage of
AGORA amongst librarians and scientists.
Editor WorldPoultry
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