First ever Impact Report from Research4Life

Published: martes 10th diciembre 2024
Category: News

We are pleased to announce the publication of our first ever Impact Report «Changing the face of global research». Designed to show what we’ve achieved, and communicate our hopes for the future of our organization, the report takes you on a whirlwind tour of our activities and includes inspiring stories and photos.

For over twenty years, Research4Life has been helping individuals in educational, research, and policy institutions in 125 lower income countries to participate fully in the global scientific and research community. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), home to 85% of the world’s population, but just 0.2% of researchers, have been largely excluded from this participation. Our mission at Research4Life is to build an inclusive, diverse, and equitable scholarly communications environment by delivering free or low-cost online access to academic and professional peer-reviewed content, user-focused training, and relevant resources to researchers in lower income countries. Access to a wide pool of trusted, evidence-based, research information is essential for driving progress in research, education, and policy-making and driving sustainable development.

Cover of the Research4Life Impact report. The title says "Changing the face of global research". It is a blue cover with a blue tinted landscape photo of a group of the Research4Life team at their annual meeting in Nairobi Kenya, July 2024.Research4Life sparks research output by up to 75%

We are pleased to say that our efforts have truly made a significant difference in people’s lives. According to 2024 data from a WIPO study, access to research through Research4Life spikes research output by up to 75% in low- and middle-income countries.

The Impact Report also tells the critical story of how we are transitioning Research4Life from content donation to fostering reciprocal engagement, in order to nurture rich and diverse scholarly exchange. We have made it our mission to increase representation and participation of researchers from LMICs in the research landscape.

Research that addresses global challenges and also meets the needs of local and regional communities is crucial. Our aim is to significantly elevate voices and the presence of researchers
from lower-income countries to the forefront of global research dialogue.

From our work promoting the visibility and global reach of research from Bhutan, to helping develop solutions for internet accessibility in Liberia, the report features case studies based on interviews with people directly involved in the initiatives described. We identify lessons learned from these collaborations and offer inspiration for others.

We are proud to contribute to the UN Decade of Action for accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals by increasing research participation from LMICs.

Join us today

Our role is critical to the development of evidence-based policies and investment priorities. Interested in joining us? Friends of Research4Life offers our members, users and supporters of Research4Life the opportunity to contribute to the creation of a diverse and inclusive and equitable research ecosystem for all. Join us today. Learn how you can support our efforts. Become a member of Friends of Research4Life where you will be directly supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ vision of an inclusive and equitable world.

Download the report as a PDF

Download the report as a Word document

This is an infographic. The copy reads: Research4Life in NumbersResearch4Life spikes research output by up to 75% in low- and middle-income countries. 11,500 Institutions Registered With R4L’s Portal; 232,000 Resources Available; 125 Low- Middle- Income Countries; 41,000 Journals; 205,000 Books; 160 Databases After Joining R4L 75% Increase Health Science Publishing; 20% Increase In Clinical Trials Uptake; Between 2021 and 2023, we had almost 6 million portal page views;Academic paper output increased by 80–100%. (disclaimer: in the Caribbean, Central Asia, Europe and Latin America)Clinical trial activity rose by up to 35% (disclaimer: East Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa) It is blue with yellow numbers and white text. The graphics are very simple.

Hinari