Research Microfinance

Research microfinance is a practice that developed by the application of microfinance and peer-to-peer lending principles to academic and non-academic scientific research, and was pioneered by Priyan Weerappuli.

It is claimed [ [http://www.theopensourcescienceproject.com "The Open Source Science Project Homepage"] ] that the growing popularity of this practice is due, in part, to an increase in the cost of traditional scholarly journal articles and subscriptions - which have increased by over 160% [ [http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla65/papers/062-122e.htm#1 Duane Webster. "Emerging Responses to Science Journal Crisis", International Federation of Library Associations, IFLA Council and General Conference, 1999] ] between 1989 and 1997. As a result of this rise, several prominent academic institutions have canceled subscriptions to for-profit journal publication titles [ [http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/03/12.11.03/CUL_Elsevier.html "After failed negotiations, Cornell University Library cancels Elsevier journal package"] ] [ [http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbreader.asp?ArticleID=16580 "Cornell and Other University Libraries to Cancel Elsevier Titles"] ] . This trend, in addition to benefiting the rise of research microfinance initiatives, has also led to a rise in the popularity and prominence of open-access scholarly journals that offer information comparable to that provided by traditional journals, freely online.

Companies

North America

* The Open Source Science Project
** [http://www.thehumanbrainproject.com The Human Brain Project]
** The Human World Project
** The Natural World Project

References

External Links

* [http://www.thehumanbrainprojectmf.com The Human Brain Project - Research Microfinance Homepage]