Abstract
Scientists in developing countries have access to only a tiny fraction of the information they need, and their own contribution to science is hardly noticed by others. It is important that these countries strengthen their scientific research and that their scientists become fully integrated members of the worldwide network of science. But, unfortunately, the transformations effected in the conduct of science with the advent of the new information and communication technologies (such as high bandwidth Internet) and the rising cost of subscriptions to journals and secondary services are widening the gulf between the industrialized and developing countries. Ironically, the steep rise in the cost of S&T information has helped developing countries in a way, as it forced scientists and librarians in the advanced countries to think of measures to overcome the ‘serials crisis’ and many of these measures can benefit developing country scientists. This paper looks at doing research in the developing world and how we can harness the new technologies to achieve information equity.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alberts, B. (1999). Science and the world’s future. President’s address to the Fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, Washington D.C., 26 April 1999.
Alberts, B. (2002). Engaging in a worldwide transformation: our responsibility as scientists for the provision of global public goods. President’s address to the Fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, Washington D.C., 29 April 2002.
Alberts, B. (2004). The InterAcademy Council: Inventing a new global organization. The Scientist, 18 (4) (1 March).
Alonso, W.J., Fernandez-Juricic, E. (2002). Regional network raises profile of local journals. Nature, 415, 471–472.
Annan, K. (2003). A challenge to the world scientists. Science, 299, 1485.
Aronson, B. (2004). Improving online access to medical information for low—income countries. New England Journal of Medicine, 350, 966–968.
Arunachalam, S. (1992). Periphery in science: What should be done to help peripheral science get assimilated into mainstream science? In R. Arvainitis, J. Gaillard (Eds.), Science Indicators for Developing Countries. Paris: Orstom.
Arunachalam, S. (1996). Science on the periphery enriches mainstream science but at what cost? The case of ethnobotany. In R Waast (Ed.), Les Sciences Au Sud E’tat Des Lieux: Science in the south (Vol. 6, pp. 29–50). Paris: Orstom.
Arunachalam, S. (2000). International collaboration in science: The case of India and China. In B. Cronin B, H.B. Atkins (Eds.), The Web of Knowledge: A Festschrift in honor of Eugene Garfield (pp. 215–231). Medford: Information Today Inc.
Arunachalam, S. (2002a). Is science in India on the decline? Current Science, 83, 107–108.
Arunachalam, S. (2002b). Reaching the unreached: How can we use information and communication technologies to empower the rural poor in the developing world through enhanced access to relevant information? Journal of Information Science, 28, 513–522.
Arunachalam, S. (2004). India’s march towards open access. [http://www.scidev.net/Opinions/index.cfm?fuseaction=readOpinions&itemid=243&language=1].
Arunachalam, S., Gunasekaran, S. (2001). Cardiovascular diseases research in India and China in the 1990s. In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Scientometrics and Informetrics (pp.53–62). Sydney: University of New South Wales.
Arunachalam, S., Gunasekaran, S. (2002a). Tuberculosis research in India and China: From bibliometrics to Research Policy, Current Science, 82, 933–947.
Arunachalam, S. Gunasekaran, S. (2002b). Diabetes research in India and China today: from literature-based mapping to health-care policy. Current Science, 82, 1086–1097.
Court, J., Young, J. (2003). Bridging Research and Policy: Insights from 50 case studies. ODI Working Paper 213. London: Overseas Development Institute. (available at www.odi.org.uk/publications).
Dickson, D. (2003). The threat to science as a public good. 〈http://www.scidev.net/Editorials/index.cfm?fuseaction=readEditorials&itemid=55&language=1〉.
European Commission. (1997). EUR 17639—Second European Report on S&T Indicators. Luxembourg: European Commission.
European Commission. (2003). EUR 20025—Third European Report on Science & Technology Indicators. Luxembourg: European Commission.
Fox, C.A. (2004). Scientific censorship. Chemical and Engineering News, 82 (9), 4–5.
Frame, J.D., Narin, F., Carpenter, M.P. (1977). World distribution of science. Social Studies of Science, 7, 501–516.
Global Forum for Health Research. (2000). The 10/90 Report on Health Research.
Hattersley, A.T. (2002). Multiple facets of diabetes in young people. Current Science, 82, 273–278.
Holmgren, M., Schnitzer, S.A. (2004). Science on the rise in developing countries. PLoS Biology, 2, 10–13.
Inter Academy Council. (2004). Inventing a better future: a strategy for building world capacities in science and technology. Amsterdam: IAC.
Lawrence, S. (2001). Online or invisible? Nature, 411, 521.
National Science Board. (2002). Science and Engineering Indicators—2002. Arlington, Va.: National Science Foundation.
Salam, A. (1988). Notes on science, technology and science education in the development of the South (Prepared for the 4th Meeting on the South Commission, 10–12 December 1988, Kuwait). Trieste: The Third World of Academy of Sciences.
Savla, U. (2004). Open access already exists. Science, 303 (5663), 1467.
UNESCO (2001). The state of science and technology in the world, 1996–1997. Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
United Nations Development Programme, 1997, Human Development Report 1997. Oxford University Press, New York. See Human Development Indicators, Table 15: Educational Imbalances, p. 81.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Arunachalam, S. (2004). Science on the Periphery: Bridging the Information Divide. In: Moed, H.F., Glänzel, W., Schmoch, U. (eds) Handbook of Quantitative Science and Technology Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-2755-9_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-2755-9_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-2702-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-2755-0
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawHistory (R0)