Research4Life Publisher Partners Commit to Free and Low Cost Access Through 2020

LONDON, November 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

18,000 resources available to the developing world via the HINARI, AGORA, OARE, and ARDI programs

The Research4Life partners announced today that they have agreed to extend their partnership through 2020. Research4Life (http://www.research4life.org) currently provides over 6,000 institutions in more than 100 developing countries with free or low cost access to peer-reviewed online content from the world's leading scientific, technical and medical publishers. The renewed commitment will ensure that the 18,000 peer reviewed scientific journals, books and databases now available through the public-private Research4life partnership will continue to reach research communities in low- and middle-income countries.

Nearly 200 scientific, technical and medical publishers worldwide participate in Research4Life. Since the programme's launch in 2001, no publisher has withdrawn support from the partnership. A 2010 survey which formed part of a Research4life user experience review, revealed that more respondents (24%) cite HINARI as a source for life-science and medical research than cite any other source, while more respondents (32%) cite HINARI as the source they use most frequently. For agricultural research, AGORA similarly tops the list of resources used, with equivalent figures of 27% and 54% respectively.

One of the beneficiaries of Research4life, Gamal Khalafalla Mohamed Ali, Director General of Sudan's Central Medical Supplies Public Corporation, who heads the national government agency responsible for medical supplies to all public health institutions commented, "As a policymaker, I use research published in HINARI for formulating research-based policies. I have written many proposals and most of these find their way to implementation. A major reason for this, I think is the evidence that underpins the proposals. To me HINARI is like water and oxygen: it is vital for me."

"As the world community looks beyond the Millennium Development Goal milestones in 2015, the Research4Life partnership is setting an example by ensuring sustainability of these important information access initiatives through 2020," noted Richard Gedye, Director of Outreach Programs, International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers.

"The partnership has extended its commitment to the programmes several times since the HINARI programme for Access to Research in Health was launched in 2001. The last two extensions were for 9 and 8 years respectively.  I applaud the long-term commitment by the partnership in support of low- and middle-income country researchers, who have been making such strides in improving scientific practice, policy, and education in the last ten years," said Kimberly Parker, HINARI Programme Manager at the World Health Organization.

About Research4Life
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 some 18,000 peer-reviewed international scientific journals, books, and databases provided by the world's leading science publishers.

Notes to Editors:

Case studies about the impact of Research4life on scientists, doctors, nurses and librarians can be found in the 2012, "Making a Difference" booklet. Interviews with the Research4Life partners and program managers are available upon request.

For information, contact:
Charlotte Masiello-Riome, Research4Life Communications Coordinator
communications@research4life.org
+31-20-485-2025