SciDev.Net

The mass media is an effective way of getting policymakers interested in a research issue, but only if communicators are able to make the issue attractive. Ways to increase the media appeal of research policy related news are suggested, as is the need to equip researchers and analysts with improved communication skills that will help bridge the research-policy gap.

Anil Gupta, Founder Coordinator of the Honey Bee network and Founder President of the Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions, describes the barriers to communication that stand between researchers, policy-makers, policy analysts and the public. He deplores how "big" (formal) science fails to appreciate "small" (local knowledge-based) science, and particularly the part it plays in creating sustainable lifestyles. Other barriers include a reliance on jargon, problems with communicating about risk, and a lack of science funding.

Based in India, Gupta specialises in providing support for small technological entrepreneurs.

The text is also downloadable in Word format.

This is an overview of the open-access movement and its potential, designed for members of the research and academic communities.

It highlights the key points to consider in thinking about and discussing open access, gives examples of open-access implementation, and provides sources for more information.

Issues addressed by the document include: why access to information is important, and what obstacles limit access. It also lists initiatives that call for open access and gives links to other resources.

This document is designed to guide institutions on how to create digital collections of the intellectual output of a single university or a multiple institution community of colleges and universities in an 'institutional repository'.

It outlines the benefits of this approach to organising and disseminating information, and addresses cost and intellectual-property issues.

The document also gives guidance on: organisational, administrative and cultural issues; content policies; faculty outreach and participation; and technical and infrastructure issues.

This is a list of frequently asked questions on self-archiving of research papers.

It provides information on what self-archiving is, and gives advice on how researchers, libraries, publishers and research funders can facilitate self-archiving. 

The questions also address concerns that researchers may have about self-archiving their research, including issues about copyright and peer review.