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To bridge the knowledge chasm and support high-level research academics or researchers need to have access to high-level research from across the world, writes Ellen Tise in the Sunday Independenton Sunday, 30 September. Ellen Tise However, due to a variety of factors, including political instability and a poor technological infrastructure, research advancement in Africa has been relegated to very low priority. In some African countries academi…

In a breakthrough for Africa, the 10th annual Berlin Open Access Conference will be taking place on the continent for the first time later this year, with Stellenbosch University (SU) as host. The Berlin 10 logo. The prestigious gathering will be taking place at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) from 7 to 8 November. It will be preceded by a preconference on the practical implementation of open access principles on 6 Novembe…

After many months of planning, the Berlin 10 Open Access Conference is set to kick off today (6 November) with the theme Networked Scholarship in a Networked World – Participation in Open Access. The Conference which is hosted by Stellenbosch University will be attended by 282 representatives from 37 countries across the globe. Some of the academic and research institutions to be represented include the Academy of Science of South Africa, Addis…

Knowledge production is important because it drives development. And open access accelerates that drive. With these words Prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University welcomed guests to the Berlin 10 Open Access Conference during the welcoming reception on Tuesday evening (6 November). The Conference (6-8 November 2012) is hosted by SU. It is the first time that this Conference is held on African soil. From left, Pr…

Good science should have no boundaries. And open access knowledge platforms make it possible for researchers, academics and anybody else who want to access research material to do so unhindered. This was the strong message on Wednesday (7 November 2012) at the Berlin 10 Open Access Conference hosted by Stellenbosch University (SU). It is the first time that this event is being held in Africa. Ms Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the European Commissioner…

“The low profile of African researchers can be attributed to their lack of access to international research. Therefore it is important for us to play a leading role in fast tracking open access to give our researchers the opportunity to share knowledge with the rest of the world.” Dr Francois Very (Assistant Editor: Scientia Militaria); Mr Oswell Khondowe (Editor: Zambian Journal of Physiotherapy); Dr Gerrit Brand (Editor: Nederduit…

, Site bid Manager of the SKA in South Africa,  fits in snugly with the free skies policy that radio astronomy has historically supported. “Radio astronomy has always supported a free skies policy and thus also supported free access to information,” he says. “The objectives of the open-access movement therefore fit in quite well with the approach of those working in the field of radio astronomy. Dr Adrian Tiplady “Open access does not only provi…

In the international arena the Open Access Movement has made significant strides with leading universities and research institutions committing to openly sharing its research output. Stellenbosch University has also joined this international cohort of open access advocates and has signed the Berlin Declaration confirming its commitment to openly sharing its research output.  During the past year the University has made considerable progress in t…

In the international arena the Open Access Movement has made significant strides with leading universities and research institutions committing to openly sharing its research output. Stellenbosch University has also joined this international cohort of open access advocates and has signed the Berlin Declaration confirming its commitment to openly sharing its research output. During the past year the University has made considerable progress in te…

The Berlin10 Open Access Conference drew to a close on Thursday (8 November) when certificates were handed to 28 African institutions that had signed the Berlin Declaration. No less than 28 African institutions have since 2010 signed the Berlin Declaration. Signatories were handed certificates at the Berlin10 Open Access Conference. Faith Bhengu from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s library services received the certificate on behalf of her un…

Without open access young scientists in Africa will be disadvantaged in their collaboration with their European counterparts, Mr Derek Hanekom, Minister of Science and Technology, said at the gala dinner of the Berlin 10 Open Access Conference on Wednesday evening, 7 November 2012. (Read his speech here). Mr Derek Hanekom, Minister of Science of Technology. Photo: John Guest “We need to unite to ensure that the playing field is levelled through…

Rather publish your research in an open access repository or journal than going the traditional route of journals that are only available on subscription. This was the advice by Stellenbosch University (SU) academics and other experts yesterday [20 Oct. 2010] to participants in the Open Access Seminar of the institution’s Library and Information Service (LIS). Open access is a relatively new distribution channel that involves publication on the…

The of Stellenbosch University (SU) Library and Information Service has recently taken a major step towards supporting Open Access initiatives by means of an institutional membership of BioMed Central (BMC). Biomed Central, an online publisher that specialises in biological and medical research, provides researchers with the opportunity to publish free of charge and also provides free and open access to the peer-reviewed journals that they publi…

Dr Ralf Schimmer of the Max Planck Digital Library will meet with members of institutions that publish in high energy physics journals on 8 November – directly after the conclusion of the Berlin 10 Open Access Conference. This meeting will be of interest to those who are interested in the SCOAP3 (Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in particle Physics Project), an international initiative aimed at facilitating open access publishing…

Open access is a movement that ultimately seeks to make scholarly materials such as published and unpublished articles, manuscripts, datasets, theses, dissertations and many more available to the public in a way that they never have been before. Seminar on Open Access to Information The Library and Information Service,  Stellenbosch University takes pleasure in inviting all researchers to a seminar on Open Access to information on the 20th of Oc…