eLibrary Homepage
The eLibrary is a database facility that was developed by a consortium of research agencies including Research Africa, the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) and the Centre for Research on Science and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University. The facility supports the science, technology and innovation initiative of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Programme, which is outlined in its Consolidated Plan of Action.
The database is aimed at making available electronic documents on science, technology and innovation policies with a focus on African countries and institutions. The collection of documents is derived from two sources: firstly, electronic documents produced by relevant institutes and government ministries and agencies (regional and international), and secondly, scanned versions of important science, technology and innovation documents which are not electronically available in the public domain. In most cases the documents have been collected through desk-top research.
The database is an attempt to address the lack of a relevant single repository of such science and innovation policy documents on the African continent. Therefore, the scope of the material in the database includes national science, technology and innovation policies, legislations, Acts and strategy documents, annual and technical reports, and reviews. Due to the growing significance of sectoral systems of innovation, the database includes sector policies such as agriculture and biotechnology, information and communication technologies, health and higher education. The focus on higher education is particularly important given the growing mergers of the science, technology and higher education into a single ministerial function in some African countries. The database also includes scholarly documents on science and technological innovation on the continent.
The target audiences include science and technology ministries in Africa, policy-makers, politicians, researchers, policy advocates, and donor communities seeking information to promote science and technology development in Africa. The languages of the documents are not restricted to English but also include others such as French and Portuguese.
In order to improve the collections in the database, we solicit voluntary submissions of documents from relevant institutions. Documents can be forwarded to crest@sun.ac.za for inclusion in the database.