CERN workshop on Innovations in Scholarly Communication (OAI6)

Introducing NECOBELAC, a network of collaboration to improve scientific writing and open access in Europe and Latin America

Not scheduled

University of Geneva

Speaker

Ms Mary Robinson (SHERPA, University of Nottingham)

Description

NECOBELAC stands for a “Network of Collaboration Between Europe and Latin American Caribbean (LAC) countries”. NECOBELAC is a three year project funded by the EC under 7th Framework Programme and launched in February 2009 (http://www.necobelac.eu). The central aim of NECOBELAC is to develop a network of collaboration to improve scientific writing and the dissemination, access, retrieval and use of health information in European and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. NECOLBELAC partners include Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) from Italy, coordinator of the project, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) from Spain, the University of Nottingham (SHERPA) from the UK, BIREME from Brazil, the Instituto de Salud Pùblica (ISP) from Columbia, and the Universidade do Minho from Portugal. Partners bring to the project a wealth of experience in scientific writing, Open Access and in the provision of Health Information. Partners are closely involved in related initiatives such as the DRIVER project (http://www.driver-community.eu) and the Virtual Health Library (http://www.bireme.br/). NECOBELAC will use and build on this knowledge and experience to analyse the different socio-cultural landscapes in Europe and the LAC countries with regard to health information. NECOBELAC will identify the specific health information needs of the areas involved and the best strategies to address those needs. NECOBELAC will create a network of institutions closely collaborating in ad hoc training programs; the first steps will regard the necessity to develop and exchange know-how in information production and diffusion (including technical and ethical issues) among all stakeholders. Specific communication infrastructures will be developed to promote cultural change. The countries involved will benefit from contacts with leaders in the field of scientific writing and open access development and will be able to share their experiences. Through this work networks of collaboration will be strengthened and developed with mutual advantages: - Europe will be able to benefit by increased access to the research outputs of Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC) and by the wider adoption of open access methods - LAC countries will be able to benefit from sharing quality programs in launching and operating open access initiatives and strengthen their existing networks and collections in the health sciences. This will contribute to the continued development of the Virtual Health Library and Scientific Electronic Library Online both launched 10 years ago and achieving progressively sustainable operation since then. NECOBELAC is a unique and exciting project and will strengthen the coordination, development and effectiveness of existing health related information infrastructures in Europe and Latin American and Caribbean countries. In so doing NECOBELAC will achieve a wider scale uptake of community engagement, embedding the use of open access methods within accepted working practices.

Summary

This poster will introduce NECOBELAC to the community by outlining the aims of the project, the partners involved, and how it will enhance the European and global Open Access and repository community.