Sharing science

Abstract

Scientists around the world benefit from sharing scientific data, lab notes, and preliminary papers, as well as traditional, formal scientific papers. Institutional repositories (IR) are open spaces for scientists to deposit their work. Doing so could potentially spark new collaborations, allowing scientists and scholars to build cross-institutional capacity. However, scientists must trust that the repository is secure, and they must understand copyright law and protections. Many African nations are at a crossroads: poised to solve major problems with well-trained scientists, yet stymied by expensive and unpredictable ICT. Many African scientists are also wary of the Internet due to rampant scams and fraud. This paper describes current African ICT development, reports on findings from a study about ICT, databases, and IRs in Ghana, and concludes with recommendations for expanding the use of IRs.