OA progress in developing countries - an EPT selection from ELPUB

The ELPUB Open Scholarship Conference in Toronto will start tomorrow, June 25^th, and the full texts of presentations are now online at http://www.elpub.net/. While all presentations will be of interest, here is an EPT-selection that provides information of specific relevance to developing and emerging nations:

‘Open Access in India: hopes and frustrations’, Subbiah Arunachalam
http://elpub.scix.net/cgi-bin/works/Show?271_elpub2008

‘Issues and challenges to development of institutional repositories in academic and research institutions in Nigeria’, Gideon Emcee Christian
http://elpub.scix.net/cgi-bin/works/Show?422_elpub2008

‘Brazilian open access initiatives: key strategies and challenges’, Sely M S Costa, Fernando C L Leite
http://elpub.scix.net/cgi-bin/works/Show?288_elpub2008

Characteristics shared by the scientific electronic journals of Latin America and the Caribbean’, Saray Córdoba-González, Rolando Coto-Solano,
http://elpub.scix.net/cgi-bin/works/Show?187_elpub2008

‘An overview of the development of open access journals and repositories in Mexico’, Isabel Galina, Joaquín Giménez,
http://elpub.scix.net/cgi-bin/works/Show?280_elpub2008

‘Opening scholarship: strategies for integrating open access and open education’, Eve Gray, Melissa Hagemann, Heather Joseph, Mark Surman,
http://elpub.scix.net/cgi-bin/works/Show?435_elpub2008

‘African universities in the knowledge economy: a collaborative approach to researchinh and promoting open communications in higher education’, Eve Gray, Marke Burke,
http://elpub.scix.net/cgi-bin/works/Show?254_elpub2008

It is clear from these presentations that there is much work remaining to be done in terms of raising awareness about open access, addressing uncertainties and providing technical support. However, there are very encouraging signs of progress that will lead to increased adoption of OA as the benefits become recognised. It should be noted that these presentations relate to adopting in-country OA technologies and not to the very impressive usage of OA resources now taking place, and reported in this blog earlier (see March 26^th 2008).