ADVANCED technology has revolutionized scholarly and scientific research, with Open Access (OA) Initiatives witnessing exponential growth over the past two decades. Rising subscription costs and declining library funds have forced institutions to seek cost-free alternatives. OA publishing, which provides legal and free access to readers worldwide, has become a beacon of hope in contemporary research. Peter Suber, a key advocate, described OA literature as “digital, online, free of charge and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.”
OA is now a global movement aimed at providing unrestricted access to research 24/7. The Budapest Open Access Initiative (2002) marked a pivotal step in this movement, followed by the Berlin Declaration (2003), which gained the support of major European institutions. The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), also launched in 2003, indexes open-access journals across disciplines. Programs like Horizon 2020 and Plan S have further bolstered OA in Europe by promoting open-access platforms.
In South Asia, OA has progressed more slowly. India launched initiatives like Open Access India in 2011 to promote institutional repositories and journals. Projects like Shodhganga, which provides access to theses and Electronic Social Sciences (ESS), which offers content in social sciences, are noteworthy. Bangladesh Journals Online (BanglaJOL), supported by the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) and Nepal Journals Online (NepJOL) are similar efforts in Bangladesh and Nepal.
In Pakistan, OA initiatives are gaining traction but require more pace and support. The Pakistan Research Repository (PRR) preserves theses and dissertations from universities, offering free access to over 21,440 works. PakMediNet facilitates access to medical journals and research, especially in health sciences. Digital transformations have encouraged libraries to digitize and share resources. Public sector universities like Quaid-i-Azam University, Allama Iqbal Open University and Islamic International University have established digital repositories. Institutions like NUST, Bahria University and Air University have also contributed to digitizing and showcasing theses.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, universities such as the University of Peshawar and Abdul Wali Khan University are digitizing records. Private universities, including LUMS, Riphah International and UMT Lahore, have made significant strides. However, universities in Sindh, Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan require more support to advance OA initiatives. Pakistani organizations, despite limited budgets, are contributing to the OA movement. The government and stakeholders must actively support these efforts to ensure the success of open access in the country.
—The writer is the Deputy Director of the Library at the ISSI.
