Towards a National Policy to provide access to scientific information and data in a developing country

1
Towards a National Policy to provide access to
scientific information and data in a developing
country

• Anna María Prat
• CONICYT-Chile

2
Open Access Policy

• In a developing country open access is a
  different issue
• We do not have an editorial industry
• We cannot afford access to the world information
• Our approach to open access is one of extreme
  necessity
• To make available our research results
• To be able to access the world knowledge
• We invest in science.
• We need to assure the availability of the results
  to everyone
• Information is an input to scientific research
  that has to be paid for

3
Some Highlights

• 1967. Establishment of the National Research
  Council, CONICYT. Among its duties
• To ensure access to the scientific and
  technological information needed to support
  research
• Promote accessibility to the scientific
  information produced in Chile
• Compile the necessary information and data on the
  national RD system needed to support science
  policy decisions.

4
Some Highlights

• 1968 Beginning of a program for the compilation
  and analysis of information and data on the RD
  System.
• Production of data bases with basic information
  on researchers, institutions, research projects
  and publications.
• Production of Science and Technology indicators
• To-day all the information is openly available.
  An integration program of all the data bases is
  in progress. A program for the application of
  new technologies to analyze the data has been
  undertaken.

5
Some Highlights

• 1982. Creation of the National Fund for Research
  and Development
• By law, the results of the research projects
  financed through the Fund have to be available
  and accessible to all interested persons
• Since then, the same applies to the research
  results produced through other national research
  funds
• A data base has been produced, the documents are
  available and a special service provided
• This year a National Repository will be open with
  all the existing information and documents

6
Some Highlights

• 1997 Establishment of a program for the
  electronic edition of selected national research
  journals.
• Conversion of selected existing scientific
  journals into electronic format through the
  creation of SciELO Chile adopting the SciELO
  platform of FAPESP/BIREME
• The program was the result of a long policy to
  strengthen national scientific journals, through
  a National Fund for Scientific Edition, Seminars
  for editors, and a permanent evaluation process
  of scientific journals, among others.

7
Some Highlights

• 2001 Establishment of a National Consortia,
  CINCEL, to acquire scientific information for all
  research institutions in the country.
• Participation of the 25 universities receiving
  governmental financial support and CONICYT
• To-day all research institutions, public and
  private, are welcome to participate
• Since 2006, CONICYT finances 50 of the cost of
  the subscriptions purchased and the participating
  institutions the other 50

8
The panorama To-day

• SciELO-Chile includes 63 full text journals, in
  all areas of knowledge, many since 1997.
• Commitment to Open Access. Many journals have a
  CC License
• More than 2.500.000 visits per month.
• Considered as Chilean mainstream. Is used as an
  evaluation instrument.
• CINCEL. All participating institutions
  contribute towards the purchase of information
  according to their potential use capacity. All
  have access to the same information and data.
• National repository of research results to be
  opened by the second semester this year.

9
Programs outside CONICYT

• Cybertesis. Open Access to Doctoral, Master and
  Professional thesis. Developed by the University
  of Chile and accepted and used by almost all
  governmental supported universities.
• Full text thesis available through University
  libraries websites
• Fully searchable

10
Programs outside CONICYT

• Since 2000, by law, all information produced by
  governmental institutions must be publicly
  available. Scientific data is usually available
  through the institutional Web sites
• The environmental, biodiversity and sustainable
  development data, are available through SINIA of
  CONAMA (Nat Commission for the Environment)
• http//www.sinia.cl
• Health information through MINSAL (M. of Health)
• http//www.minsal.cl

11
Programs outside CONICYT

• SIGEO. Provides geological information, generated
  by SERNAGEOMMIN, the National Institute for
  Geological and Mining Studies.
• Contains almost 100 maps (since 1996) of diverse
  geosciences topics (basic geology, mineral
  resources, hydric resources, geophysics,
  geological hazards and environmental geology) and
  topography,
• Databases (radiometric data, chemical analysis,
  ore deposits, wells),
• Processed Satellite images and full-text
  documents that refer to spatial data.
• http//sigeo.sernageomin.cl

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Programs outside CONICYT

• SNIT. The National System for the Coordination
  of Territorial Information. http//www.snit.cl
• Intended to coordinate and integrate all
  territorial information and data held by Chilean
  governmental institutions at all levels and in
  all areas.
• Already a metadata catalog of information held by
  national institutions is on-line and territorial
  information of different institutions is
  available
• SIIT. The Integrated system of Territorial
  Information of the Library of Congress
  http//www.bcn.cl/siit/. Integrates data from
  different national institutions

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As a conclusion

• The legal instruments exist to ensure the public
  availability of scientific information and data
• Many efforts have been initiated. Some very
  successful
• In general, The information is spread, available
  but not always accessible
• An integrating program is needed to allow
• Interoperability of all the information available
• Agreement on common standards and protocols
• Use of new technologies to assure better access

14
Still a long way to go
!Thank you