Open Access to Publicly Funded Research Information: the race is on

Without access to current international research information and without the ability to contribute national research findings, researchers in the developing countries have struggled to make an impact and to develop a strong and independent national science infrastructure. The cost of journals has continued to rise and the situation within this conventional access structure continues to deteriorate. However, a window of opportunity has opened wide since the establishment of the open access (OA) movement. The paper outlines the problems facing scholarly communication in developing countries and describes ways in which OA can provide a solution. The progress in developing countries regarding adoption of OA is discussed in detail focusing on various parameters. The current status shows that developing countries are beginning to recognise the value to their academic communities and to their national economies of free access to published research articles.