From members of the Electronic Publishing Trust for Development (EPT) and Stevan Harnad
http://www.epublishingtrust.org

November 20th 2004

Dear Dr Gibson,

Access to research publications by developing country scientists

We have read the comments from your Committee on the Department of International Development report (The use of science in UK International Development Policy, 13th Report of Session 2003-2004) and refer particularly to paragraphs 76 and 133. In these you re-state your comments on the importance of access to research information and to the need for digitisation of publications and open access publishing. However, we were very disappointed to see that reference to Open Access Archiving was not made.

As you will be aware from our written submission to your 10th Report, Scientific 'Publications: Free for all?', the Electronic Publishing Trust for Development strongly advocates policies to establish institutional archives since this is a very low-cost endeavour that can very quickly begin to level the playing field. Moreover, it straight away increases the visibility of locally generated research, so important for the development of a strong science base in the less advantaged regions.

We know that your Committee fully understands the huge benefits to be derived from OA Archiving and so we will not reiterate the arguments here, but we would ask that your Committee ensures that DfiD is made fully aware of these. We have in the past tried to inform DfiD about the advantages of institutional archives that are so easily obtained, but have met with little success. The Department is currently supporting the distribution of subsidised printed journals to some developing countries (but excludes those where any journals are currently sold by the commercial publishers, eg India) and, while this has short-term benefits, it is clearly not the long-term solution to information poverty. We would hope that DfiD's future programmes would support the sustainable option of training in the establishment of OA archives. The signatories to this letter, and many others, now have substantial experience in running OA workshops that, in our view, would make a tremendous impact on the international inclusion of the science communities in poorer countries. We are heartened that the University of Namibia has very recently established an OA policy and its own OA Archive; some 20 other OA Archives in developing country institutes are also registered in the OA Archives registry. The process has begun and is shown to be feasible; the support of DfiD would substantially speed the process to the benefit of health, agriculture and other essential scientific work in these regions.

We hope that your Committee can encourage DfiD in this work, and are available to provide further information/experience at any time.

With kind regards,

Professor Subbiah Arunachalam, MSSRF Chennia, India, EPT Trustee
Professor Leslie Chan, University of Toronto, EPT Trustee
Barbara Kirsop, Secretary, Electronic Publishing Trust for Development