Science and Development Network

SciDev.Net logo

SciDev.Net is a non-profit organisation committed to enhancing communication about the role science and technology can play in meeting the needs of the developing world.

Its main activity is the operation of a free access news and policy orientated website. In addition, SciDev.Net runs workshops and builds regional networks of individuals and institutions committed to improving science communication.

Through these activities, the organisation seeks to engage researchers, decision-makers and civil society in exploring how science and technology can help reduce poverty, improve health, and raise standards of living around the world.

News

SciDev.Net's news coverage is at the heart of its website, and articles are added daily. Freelance journalists throughout the developing world write much of this material and the organisation is always keen to expand its network of contributors.

SciDev.Net's special agreement with the world's top scientific journals — Science and Nature — means that visitors to the site can access the full text of relevant articles and research papers that would otherwise be unavailable to non-subscribers.

Weekly updates

Visitors to SciDev.Net can register for a free weekly email in Chinese, English, French or Spanish, containing summaries of all the material added to the website over the past week, along with notices about jobs, research grants and events.

Dissemination

All SciDev.Net website material is free to reproduce. The organisation actively encourages reproduction through all possible outlets and is always keen to provide assistance with this.

The latest news can also appear instantly on other websites through a free SciDev.Net global or regional newsfeed. Each newsfeed carries the latest three news stories, including a headline, introductory sentence and link to the full article.

For busy researchers or news editors who need to sift through information from many sources, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) enables instantaneous delivery of SciDev.Net news stories to a 'news reader' as soon as they are published.

Key subjects

SciDev.Net gathers information it publishes on key subjects into special 'dossiers', 'quick guides' and 'news focuses'. These form the intellectual core of the SciDev.Net website and include more in-depth information such as 'policy briefs' on the major issues. These are intended for policymakers and non-specialists wishing to improve their knowledge of a subject and follow the latest developments. Topics include:

Agri-biotechnology
Biodiversity
Bird flu
Brain Drain
Climate Change
Ethics of Research
Genomics
HIV/AIDS
Indigenous Knowledge
Intellectual Property Rights
Malaria
Nanotechnology
Research and Development Policy
Science Publishing
Technology Transfer
Tsunami
Tuberculosis

Science Communication

SciDev.Net views the effective communication of information about science and technology as an essential component of social and economic development. The organisation strives to improve science communication by holding capacity-building workshops in developing countries for scientists and journalists, as well as providing an innovative online guide containing practical advice on how to engage in various activities related directly or indirectly to the communication of science.

Regional Networks

Since its launch in 2001, SciDev.Net has been keen to ensure that its activities directly reflect the needs of developing countries as seen from the point of view of these countries themselves. This has been done partly by increasing the number of freelance contributors within such countries, but also by creating regional networks bringing together individuals and institutions that share related goals and concerns.

SciDev.Net's website has the following six dedicated regional sections, detailing relevant news, activities and resources:

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China

Latin America and the Caribbean

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

South-East Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa