Research4life Announces Contest Highlighting Library Impact
Global case study competition focuses on how vital collaboration between Research4Life and librarians powers effective research in developing countries
London, United Kingdom, March 6, 2013 /3BL Media/ - The Research4Life partnership announced today a case study competition to recognize the role of librarians and library staff in building the research capacities of scientists, doctors and policymakers and helping to boost research output within their institutions.
Since 2001, the Research4Life initiative has developed into a partnership of over 200 scientific publishers around the globe, giving researchers at more than 6,000 institutions in over 100 countries in the developing world and territories free or low cost online access to nearly 30,000 peer-reviewed international scientific journals, books, and databases provided by the world's leading scientific, technical and medical publishers.
Research4Life has launched the library impact case study competition in celebration of the work that librarians do and to facilitate the sharing of best practice. The competition aims to highlight the dedication and capacity building of those who assist researchers in accessing and using vital information within their institutions. The competition will run from the 6th of March through the 27th of April 2013. Online applications will be accepted through April 27th 12 am GMT. Submissions of library case studies will be reviewed by a committee of distinguished international librarians and trainers. The winner will be announced in June and invited as the first user to join the Research4Life Executive Council. The prize includes an all-expenses paid trip to attend the Partners’ General Meeting in Rome, Italy in September 2013.
“From information literacy training to building infrastructure and concerted outreach, librarians are critical to building a healthy research culture in the developing world—and they are often the unsung heroes,” said Emily Gillingham, Chair of the Executive Council for Research4Life and Director of Library Relations at Wiley, “We hope our competition will raise awareness about the essential role played by librarians across the developing world.”
The Research4Life Librarian Competition is open to all librarians and library staff whose institution is a registered user of one of the Research4Life programmes - Access to Research in Health (HINARI), Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA), Online Access to Research in the Environment (OARE) and Access to Research for Development and Innovation (ARDI). Eligible countries, areas, and territories are available on the Research4Life website.
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Notes for Editors
The online application form will be open for submissions from March 6th through the 27th of April 2013. In 2011, Research4Life celebrated HINARI’s 10th anniversary and produced “Making a Difference”, case studies about the impact of Research4life on scientists, doctors, nurses and librarians. Interviews with the Research4Life partners and programme managers are available upon request.
About Research4Life
Research4Life (www.research4Life.org) is a public-private partnership between over 200 international scientific publishers, the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers, Cornell and Yale Universities in collaboration with the WHO, FAO, UNEP, WIPO, and technology partner, Microsoft. Research4Life aims to help attain six of the UNs eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015, reducing the scientific knowledge gap between industrialized countries and the developing world. Since 2001, the four programmes, Access to Research in Health (HINARI), Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA), Online Access to Research in the Environment (OARE) and Access to Research for Development and Innovation (ARDI), have grown and developed to the point where they now give researchers at more than 6,000 institutions in over 100 developing world countries and territories free or low cost online access to nearly 30,000 peer-reviewed international scientific journals, books, and databases provided by the world’s leading science publishers.
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier’s online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, Reaxys, ClinicalKey and Mosby’s Nursing Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai’s Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading provider of professional information solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal and Risk and Business sectors, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).
