SciDev.Net

In a bid to improve access to scientific literature in poor countries, the New York-based Open Society Initiative (OSI) has announced that it will give US$100,000 to support developing-world scientists who wish to publish their research in free-access online journals.

The money will be used to cover the fees that are normally charged to authors to publish in 'open access' scientific journals, which make research papers freely available on the Internet.

The pilot project, launched on 6 May, is part of the Budapest Open Access Initiative — backed by the Soros Foundation — which campaigns for free access to scientific research literature.

The initiative comes in response to increasing concern that doctors and scientists in poorer nations are unable to afford the subscription fees charged by many online journals.

Publishers of free-access peer-reviewed journals will be able to apply for grants to cover publication of research articles by authors working in certain transitional and developing countries.

Click here for more details of this grant.

© SciDev.Net 2002

See also:

Budapest Open Access Initiative

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