Research information in Africa -- its management, use and dissemination : a review of the literature

This literature review summarizes the views of African information professionals on the barriers to research dissemination in the region and options for removing them. Generally, Africa"s information sector is constrained by a lack of government support for information collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination (policy makers perceive information as power, rather than as a tool for national development); restricted access to government information; inadequate human resources and training (information professionals are not highly valued); inadequate financing; and poor quality or inappropriateness of information for African development (much of the region"s information, because obtained from industrialized countries, is not available in local languages and is irrelevant by the time it is received). According to information professionals, African governments should: (1) link information policy to the policies of others sectors in order to circumvent government resistance or indifference to the information sector; (2) make dissemination a normal and expected part of the research process (currently funds are devoted exclusively to collection and analysis rather than dissemination); and (3) improve information technology and infrastructure, partly through the use of electronic communication tools such as CD-ROM. Other suggested measures include wider distribution of unpublished literature, development of union catalogs, and continuing education and formal training of information professionals. The report also contains recommendations for donor support. Includes references.