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Open Access in Lebanon; Open Access is a recent movement in Lebanon; however, there has already been positive and steady feedback on it from variety of stakeholders; librarians, academics and researchers - all support and participate in OA movement.
As of June 2015, The Directory of OA Journals (DOAJ) indexes one Open Access journal: Journal of Numerical Mathematics and Stochastics published by Euclidean Press, LLC. Other OA journals published in Lebanon include CALR Online Linguistics Journal (CALR) and The Academic Research Journal (ARJ).
Researchers from Lebanon publish articles in international Open Access journals, for example, in 2013, 188 research articles have been published with BioMed Central – an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the Open Access publishing model– and among them are highly accessed (most viewed) articles published by researchers from University Medical School and the Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC), Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, University Medical School and the Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC), University of Beirut Medical Centres, Lebanon.
Currently, one OA digital repository is registered in OpenDOAR: LAU eCommons at the Lebanese American University.
Enabling Environment
editLebanon has several competitive advantages in the ICT sector—especially in software and website development—including a multilingual and skilled workforce. The development in Lebanese National Information infrastructure through National e-Strategy aims to use ICT for national development, in order to best position Lebanon to compete in a global economy. This project is funded by UNDP global Thematic Trust Fund on ICT for Development funded by the Government of Japan support the project. The project includes a series of activities that will help to strengthen the ICT sector and in turn will give a boost to the ICT sector and services provided within.
According to the Internet World Stats (2011) of a population of 4,143,101, the Internet usage in Lebanon has grown from 300,000 users in 2001 to about 1,201,820 users in 2011. This implies that the current percentage of Lebanon population that now have access with 29.0 percent penetration rate.
Major Projects/Initiatives
editLibGuides at Lebanese American University aim to provide research assistance, subject guides, and useful resources, including Open Access Databases that includes: Who Is She in Lebanon?, Cartoon Image Database and Islamic Heritage Project
The international periodical: Journal of Numerical Mathematics and Stochastics JNM@S by Euclidean Press, LLC is an Open Access journal intended to act as a numerical interface between mathematical sciences and stochastic and will publish high-quality original contributions to numerical mathematics and stochastic.
Arab Open University AOU – Lebanon has an Open Access Student Repository – A repository that includes: the senior students' projects. The AOU – Lebanon has two ISSN referenced online journals, with international editorial boards: CALR online Linguistics Journal (CALR) and The Academic Research Journal (ARJ) are an Open Access.
Details of Key Organizations
editLebanese Library Association organizesg many activities/seminars to promote the Open Access movement among the faculty, librarian and students community.
Sources
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This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0 (license statement/permission). Text taken from Global Open Access Portal, UNESCO. UNESCO.