[india-drug] E-drug: New information resource for developing countries

[Alex vass <avass@bmj.com>]

[ Copied from Edrug. Thanks---SS]


E-drug: New information resource for developing countries
---------------------------------------------------------

Website of the week: The information gap
 
BMJ 2001;323 1434
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/323/7326/1434/a

BMJ 2001;323:1434 ( 15 December )
The information gap

www.scidev.net was launched last week to bridge the divide between
knowledge rich developed countries and the knowledge poor developing
world. Sponsored by the journals Nature and Science, the site was
created on the premise that "those who stand to benefit most from
modern science and technology tend to be those who have least access to
information."

Over the past few years there has been increasing recognition of impact
of the knowledge gap on developing countries. To this end free access
to
medical research published by the BMJ has been possible via bmj.com
since 1995. All 23 specialist journals published by the BMJ Publishing
Group are currently available free of charge to 44 low income nations
and there are plans to extend this access to 34 lower middle income
countries. Earlier this year six of the world's leading medical
publishers signed a "statement of intent" to provide free access to
scientific information for more than 100 of the poorest countries in
the world (BMJ 2001;323:65).

Against this background, scidev.net is now the first website dedicated
to the needs of the developing world. It reports and discusses aspects
of science and technology that are relevant to sustainable development
and specific to the needs of developing countries. Each week up to four
full length research articles from each of the journals Science and
Nature are posted on the site. There is also a news section on
development related scientific and policy issues, and in depth dossiers
are being created on topics such as gene cloning, climate change, and
malaria.

The sitefunded by UK, Swedish, and Canadian development agenciesalso
advertises job opportunities and international meetings. Links are
available to funding agencies, and other development agencies. Overall
the site gives the feel of being a forum where connections are made,
ideas exchanged, and information shared. Together with the changes in
publishing, it shows how the electronic revolution could help to
abolish the information gap.

Alex Vass, BMJ.
avass@bmj.com




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