STM publisher Elsevier, Netherlands, and the Library of Alexandria (BA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide 150 researchers working in least-developed and low-income countries across the globe with access to ScienceDirect, Elsevier's online scientific research platform with 11 million full text articles and Scopus, an abstract and citation database containing 21,000 peer-reviewed journals from 5,000 publishers. The new agreement will provide courtesy access for a period of three years.
As an integral part of this initiative, the BA will also facilitate research capacity building, or the development of strong research skills through a closed Virtual Knowledge Community (VKC) to provide the scientists with regular support including: research best practices, information literacy and authorship skills training.
Many of the 150 scientists who will be granted access to ScienceDirect and Scopus focus their research on areas relevant to the UN Millennium Development Goals including the treatment and prevention of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis; promoting rural development with improved water, sanitation and food security.
