BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION FOR UNDERTAKING OF THE PROJECT

Revolutionary development of the Internet resulted in such a great leap forward in scholarly communication, that is considered to be comparable by significance with Gutenberg's invention of the movable type printing press in 15th century. The arrival of new information technologies affords breathtaking opportunities with respect to rapidity of scholarly information exchange, information retrieval, and multimedia presentation, but also brings up serious issues concerning data archiving, intellectual property aspects, and peer review.

Transition to digital environment gave birth to new models and formats of scholarly communication such as electronic journals and monographs, forums and chats, open e-print archives, Darnton’s new model "Pyramid" and so on. Although there are still a number of problems in transition from paper-based distribution of knowledge to electronic one, the global trend is increasingly important role played by electronic scholarly communication in modern academic society.

The development and access to electronic scholarly networks is distributed extremely uneven among and within nations. While in industrialized countries widespread Internet access to libraries, databases, electronic academic discussion lists, and electronic communication are as ordinary as never before, in developing ones the situation is quite the contrary. Not only lack of access to the Internet is the major point. Lack of proper training in information technology, low accessibility of scholarly information, lack of electronic access to libraries, few opportunities to publish research data in international peer-reviewed journals are just a tip of the problem iceberg.

As in many CIS countries, after dissolution of the USSR in 1991, Kyrgyzstan science suffered sharp decline. Lack of funds for scientific research and deteriorating scholarly communication are two major factors responsible for slow development of science in Kyrgyzstan. Current scholarly communication system in the country is not only frozen at a point of 10 years ago, but degrades still further.

The crisis in science affected all actors involved in scholarly communication, namely writers, publishers, libraries, and readers turning them into marginalized groups:

• Writers lost access to new scientific information, experience difficulties in publication and science communication.
• Science publishers are practically not involved in scholarly publishing any more living by odd-jobbing.
• Libraries experience considerable difficulties in subscription to science magazines and books due to lack of proper funding, many of them were closed.
• Readers do not have access to local or worldwide science literature due to low circulation of the former one and lack of the latter one.

Despite repeated attempts made by different charitable institutions to support an old paper-based scholarly communication system, it may be said without exaggeration that it has no future prospects in Kyrgyzstan.
It is also necessary to note that international donor agencies and private foundations continue to render assistance in transferring to scholarly publishing and communication in the electronic environment. The following programmes can be mentioned in this field: Open Society Institute provides funding to support Budapest Open Archive Initiative which aims at removing access barriers to scholarly information through establishing open archives and e-journals, Internet Access Training Program organizes free of charge Internet training for scientists, IREX provides support for publishing the first in Kyrgyzstan scholarly on-line journal Polysphere, Health Inter-Network Access to Research Initiative provides free access to about 1500 journals in biomedical and related social sciences to public institutions.

At the same time the government of Kyrgyzstan proceeds with development of legislative and technological basis in information and communication field. In 2002, in the frame of Comprehensive Development Framework, Kyrgyzstan adopted the National Strategy on Information and Communication Technologies for Development of Kyrgyz Republic which determines basic priorities, goal and objectives in the field of information and communication technologies. Accumulation of scientific and educational resources, promotion of science links, providing access to information resources worldwide and integration in international science and educational system are listed among objectives of the strategy. In addition, a number of communication projects were funded by aid agencies with a purpose to modernize existing telecommunication networks. Thus, the necessary prerequisites for development of scholarly communication in Kyrgyzstan are gradually being created.

However, there is still much uncertainty on a number of issues such as current state and trends in scholarly communication in Kyrgyzstan and worldwide, how efficient new models of science communication based on electronic systems can be if applied in Kyrgyzstan, what are investment priorities in the country for the most efficient development of scholarly communication system, what should be a national policy in the field of scholarly communication and so on. The project proposed aimed at examination of these and some other policy issues in the field.

GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of the project is to explore current status of the scholarly communication system in Kyrgyzstan and propose a new paradigm for science information exchange using Internet technologies.

The objectives of the project are:
• Analysis of the current state of scholarly communication in Kyrgyzstan including: ways of science information acquisition and research data publication, science information accessibility, role of Internet in information exchange, place and role of major actors: publishers, customers, writers, libraries, government organizations and international donor agencies;
• Development and evaluation of new network-based sustainable models for improved access to scholarly information by academic society in Kyrgyzstan on the basis of innovative experience from other countries;
• Development and evaluation of new network-based sustainable models for publishing research data by academic society in Kyrgyzstan on the basis of innovative experience from other countries;
• Writing a research and policy paper on electronic scholarly communication with recommendations to major actors in Kyrgyzstan: Academy of Science, Council on Information and Communication Technologies, Ministry of Education, libraries, professional associations and international donor agencies.

PLAN FOR THE PROJECT FULFILMENT

Preliminary plan for the project implementation consist of 5 work tasks which will be fulfilled for a period of 1 year in Hungary and Kyrgyzstan.

Work Task (WT) 1. Analysis of Global Tendencies in Scholarly Communication
Location: Budapest, Hungary and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Objectives: This work task is aimed at search of appropriate materials and analysis of the current tendencies in the field of scholarly communication worldwide. Special attention will be paid to developing countries.
Methodology: Collection and analysis of materials from the Internet and printed journals
Outputs: Analytical literature review including the state-of-art in scholarly communication, new models used, models already applied in developing countries, trends in roles played by writers, publishers, librarians and consumers.

Work Task (WT) 2. Research of the Scholarly Communication System in Kyrgyzstan
Location: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Objectives: Work task includes survey of the current situation of the scholarly communication system in Kyrgyzstan, ways of information acquisition and research data publication, roles played by writers, publishers, librarians and consumers, analysis of current science information policies.
Methodology: A survey of scientists, publishers and librarians; collection and analysis of information.
Outputs: Analytical literature review including the state-of-art in scholarly communication in Kyrgyzstan, role of major actors, the government and international donors.

Work Task (WT) 3. Developing New Models: Access to Science Information in Kyrgyzstan
Location: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Objectives: This work task includes evaluation of applicability of new sustainable models of science communication to enhance access to information by academic society in Kyrgyzstan, developing new information access models, analysis of possible new roles for major actors involved in scholarly communication in the country.
Methodology: Analysis of information from WT1 and WT2
Outputs: Analytical paper including evaluation of applicability of network-based access models in Kyrgyzstan and new models proposed.

Work Task (WT) 4. Developing New Models: Scholarly Electronic Publishing in Kyrgyzstan
Location: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Objectives: This work task includes evaluation of applicability of new sustainable models of science communication to improve publishing possibilities of the academic society in Kyrgyzstan, developing new publication models, analysis of possible new roles for major actors involved in scholarly communication in the country.
Methodology: Analysis of information from WT1 and WT2
Outputs: Analytical paper including evaluation of applicability of network-based publication models in Kyrgyzstan and new models proposed.

Work Task (WT) 5. Writing a Research and Policy Paper
Location: Budapest, Hungary and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Objectives: This work task is aimed at compilation of all the data obtained during project implementation and writing a research and policy paper with policy recommendations to major stakeholders.
Methodology: Compilation of information
Outputs: Research and Policy paper.

APPLICATION OF PROJECT RESULTS

Project findings and recommendations will be published (as a print copy and web-site) and distributed among relevant institutions including Academy of Science, Council on Information and Communication Technologies, Ministry of Education, associations of science publishers, professional science associations, libraries, and international developing agencies in Kyrgyzstan.

Globally, as state of scholarly communication is quite similar in many Central Asia countries, the outcomes of the project will equally be useful on the regional scale and this project may be used as a model for implementation in other countries. Appropriate stakeholders in these countries will be notified of the project and materials will be distributed if necessary.