Increasing Access to Research through Armenia Virtual Science Library

On March 29, 2012, the AGBU Papazian Library held a seminar at AUA’s Manoogian Hall on increasing access to research through the Armenian Virtual Science Library (AVSL).
The first presenter, Dr. Charles Dunlap, Global Associate Program Director of the U.S. Civil Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), introduced the AVSL website, including the access to journal databases.   Launched in November 2011, the system gives Armenian scientists access to resources via the internet, and provides them with the opportunity to present their works to the international community.
The AVSL includes more than three million scientific articles and more than 8,500 electronic journals. In 2012, the AVSL was expanded to provide access to 35 universities and research Institutions throughout Armenia. This project is implemented by the CRDF, the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science, the State Committee of Science of Armenia, the Armenian National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. State Department.  Dr. Dunlap also presented the current trends and best practices in open-access publishing, the creation of digital research repositories, and described the difference between academic journal databases and search systems. 
The second presenter Dr. Ahmed  Bourghida, Country Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa  at Thomson Reuters, introduced Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science, a premier research platform, designed to help researchers quickly find, analyze, and share information in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.
The Manoogian Hall was filled by faculty members and guests, as well as students from AUA and from other universities.
The presentations were followed by questions.

Charles Dunlap introducing Armenia Virtual Science Library	Ahmed Bourghida presenting Thomson Reuters Web of Science