The UK National Commission for UNESCO recently released a new report titled Improving Access to Scientific Information for Developing Countries: UK Learned Societies and Journal Access Programmes. According to the report, wider participation in access programmes is crucial to make journals and other relevant content available to researchers in developing countries.
Based on the findings of a survey of 40 scientific learned societies in the UK, the report assesses learned societies' participation in journal access programmes for developing countries. These programmes provide free or low-cost access to academic literature for developing nations. The report also sets out recommendations to strengthen the provision of scientific information to institutions and readers in need.
The survey found that 25 of the societies participate in one or more journal access programmes. Of these, the Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information (PERI) programme of the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) is seemingly the most popular. The societies who currently did not participate in access programmes cited lack of awareness as a key reason, leading the commission to urge programme providers to ensure that learned societies are better informed.
The report also indicates that third-party publishers could play a key role in the willingness of a society to join journal access programmes.
