AGORA
Encyclopedia
AGORA is the acronym for the Access to Global Online Research on Agriculture program. It was started by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO)
with a number of publishing partners to provide developing countries access to scientific information on food, agriculture, environmental science and related social sciences.
There are over 1278 journal titles available to institutions in 107 countries. AGORA is part of Research4Life, the collective name for four programs - HINARI
(focusing on health), AGORA (focusing on agriculture), OARE
(focusing on environment), and ARDI
(focusing on applied science and technology).
The AGORA program, its sister programs and their publishing partners have committed to continuing the initiative until at least 2015.
, CABI Publishing
, Elsevier
, Kluwer Academic Publishers
, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Nature Publishing Group
, Oxford University Press
, Springer-Verlag
, and John Wiley & Sons
. Other key partners include Microsoft
and Cornell University
. Currently a total of 39 publishers participate in AGORA and provide journal content.
When launched, AGORA provided access to 400 journals. As of March 2010, the initiative has increased to providing access to over 1278 journals.
The development has been in two phases: Phase I, occurring in 2003, allowed access to 69 countries. Phase II increased this by allowing around 30 additional countries access at low cost.
per capita as provided by World Bank
figures. Therefore, institutions in countries with GNI per capita below US$
1250 (Band 1) are eligible for free access. Institutions in countries with GNI per capita between US$1251 and US$3500 (Band 2) pay a fee of US$1000 per year per institution.
The eligible countries are therefore determined by the publishers themselves.
, India
and China
.
Critics find problems with the use of GNI as a criterion, however. China, for example, is a large developing country facing an information divide, which is not reflected by the GNI. In large cities and coastal areas of China, per capita GNI can be four times that of the poor localities, yet poor 'local' researchers cannot get low-price access because China as a whole surpasses the baseline criterion.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(FAO)
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
with a number of publishing partners to provide developing countries access to scientific information on food, agriculture, environmental science and related social sciences.
There are over 1278 journal titles available to institutions in 107 countries. AGORA is part of Research4Life, the collective name for four programs - HINARI
HINARI
HINARI is the Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative. It was set up by the World Health Organization and major publishers to enable developing countries to access collections of biomedical and health literature. There are over 7000 journal titles available to health institutions in 109...
(focusing on health), AGORA (focusing on agriculture), OARE
Oare
There are at least four villages called Oare in England:*Oare, Berkshire, near Newbury*Oare Marshes, Kent, internationally important nature reserve near Faversham*Oare, Kent, near Faversham*Oare, Somerset, near Minehead*Oare, Wiltshire, near Marlborough...
(focusing on environment), and ARDI
ARDI
ARDI is the Access to Research for Development and Innovation program. ARDI is a partnership between the World Intellectual Property Organization and major scientific and technical publishers. ARDI provides access to over 200 online journals for patent offices and academic and research institutions...
(focusing on applied science and technology).
The AGORA program, its sister programs and their publishing partners have committed to continuing the initiative until at least 2015.
History
The AGORA program was launched in October 2003 with FAO and nine founding publishers: Blackwell PublishingBlackwell Publishing
Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons. It was formed by the merger of John Wiley's Global Scientific, Technical, and Medical business with Blackwell Publishing, after Wiley took over Blackwell Publishing in...
, CABI Publishing
CAB International
CAB International is a not-for-profit inter-governmental organisation based in the United Kingdom....
, Elsevier
Elsevier
Elsevier is a publishing company which publishes medical and scientific literature. It is a part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has operations in the United Kingdom, USA and elsewhere....
, Kluwer Academic Publishers
Springer Science+Business Media
- Selected publications :* Encyclopaedia of Mathematics* Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete * Graduate Texts in Mathematics * Grothendieck's Séminaire de géométrie algébrique...
, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Nature Publishing Group
Nature Publishing Group
Nature Publishing Group is an international publishing company that publishes academic journals, online databases, and services across the life, physical, chemical and applied sciences and clinical medicine...
, Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, Springer-Verlag
Springer Science+Business Media
- Selected publications :* Encyclopaedia of Mathematics* Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete * Graduate Texts in Mathematics * Grothendieck's Séminaire de géométrie algébrique...
, and John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., also referred to as Wiley, is a global publishing company that specializes in academic publishing and markets its products to professionals and consumers, students and instructors in higher education, and researchers and practitioners in scientific, technical, medical, and...
. Other key partners include Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. Currently a total of 39 publishers participate in AGORA and provide journal content.
When launched, AGORA provided access to 400 journals. As of March 2010, the initiative has increased to providing access to over 1278 journals.
The development has been in two phases: Phase I, occurring in 2003, allowed access to 69 countries. Phase II increased this by allowing around 30 additional countries access at low cost.
Access
Currently, AGORA provides access to those countries as agreed by the publishers, based on certain critera. The eligibility for each country is based on GNIGross National Income
The GNI consists of: the personal consumption expenditures, the gross private investment, the government consumption expenditures, the net income from assets abroad , and the gross exports of goods and services, after deducting two components: the gross imports of goods and services, and the...
per capita as provided by World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
figures. Therefore, institutions in countries with GNI per capita below US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1250 (Band 1) are eligible for free access. Institutions in countries with GNI per capita between US$1251 and US$3500 (Band 2) pay a fee of US$1000 per year per institution.
The eligible countries are therefore determined by the publishers themselves.
Restrictions
Due to publishers' market interests and business plans, not all developing countries are eligible, as in some of these countries, the publishers have significant levels of existing subscriptions. Some of these countries include South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Critics find problems with the use of GNI as a criterion, however. China, for example, is a large developing country facing an information divide, which is not reflected by the GNI. In large cities and coastal areas of China, per capita GNI can be four times that of the poor localities, yet poor 'local' researchers cannot get low-price access because China as a whole surpasses the baseline criterion.
Related initiatives
- HINARI (Access to Research Initiative) launched in 2002 and is administered by World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO). - OARE (Online Access to Research in the Environment) launched in October 2006 and is coordinated by the United Nations Environment ProgrammeUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeThe United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its...
(UNEP). - ARDI (Access to Research for Development and Innovation) launched in 2010 and administered by the World Intellectual Property OrganizationWorld Intellectual Property OrganizationThe World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....
(WIPO) - The TEEAL (The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library) Project is administered through Mann Library’s Collection and Services Department.
- ITOCA (Information Training and Outreach Centre for Africa), in Pretoria, South Africa, handles awareness and training missions across the African continent.