Publishers for Development (PfD)

Publishers for Development was launched in 2008 and is a joint initiative of The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and INASP.

It is a forum for information and discussion around the importance of access to information for development. Through a range of activities, it will explore some of the unique challenges developing country libraries, researchers and publishers experience and also provide an opportunity for publishers to keep up-to-date and feed their input into the work all parties are undertaking to lessen the digital divide.

Publishers play an important role in contributing to high quality library and information services. They are also a vital component in the global research communication cycle, especially in encouraging the wider dissemination of research and ideas from all members of the international scientific and academic community in which developing country research is currently underrepresented.

The forum is designed to:

  • improve publishers knowledge of the context/specific needs of developing country colleagues
  • bring the developing country research environment to life
  • generate a greater level of discussion amongst publishers about the issues access/connectivity/software
  • enable publishers to share information about what they are already doing to help increase access, work with developing country researchers and adapt their ICT to operate in a low-bandwidth environment
  • gain ideas for discussion with editorial/IT colleagues
  • give publishers a supportive space in which to ask questions
  • encourage a two-way dialogue with librarians by feeding outcomes/requesting input from the networks in which they are already
  • active

For further information please contact:
Jonathan Harle - j.harle@acu.ac.uk
Lucy Browse - lbrowse@inasp.info

Publishers are invited to join this group by sending a message to: join-pubs-for-dev@dgroups.org

 

Recent News and Activities

May 2010

The Global Research Effort
Thursday 13th May, 2010
Presentations and discussion on research and authorship in context, the global research effort (with perspectives from Africa, Asia and Latin America) and the contribution of the publisher and service provider to lessening the digital divide.

PERii Country Coordination Representative and Publisher Meeting
Friday 14th May, 2010
Presentations and discussion of publishing industry overviews for country coordination representatives

For all news see the PfD News and activities page.

Publishers are invited to join this group by sending a message to:
join-pubs-for-dev@dgroups.org.

** About ACU**
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) was founded in 1913 and is the worlds first international inter-university network, with nearly 500 members. The ACU works with its members to promote and contribute to the provision of excellent higher education for the benefit of all people throughout the Commonwealth. More information can be found at www.acu.ac.uk