Tying up lions: Multilateral initiative on malaria communications: The first chapter of a malaria research network in Africa
Tying up lions: Multilateral initiative on malaria communications: The first chapter of a malaria research network in Africa
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DOI：
10.4269/ajtmh.2004.71.259
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发表时间：
2004-08-01
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
Alilio, M
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Royall, J;Bennett, M;Alilio, M
“当蜘蛛网连在一起时，它们可以拴住一头狮子”（埃塞俄比亚的民间谚语）。疟疾通信网络多边倡议（MIMCom）促进了在非洲进行研究和非洲科学家参与国际科学界的一种新方式。MIMCom支持在11个非洲国家的19个研究站点全面访问互联网和万维网资源。此外，MIMCom项目包括两个网站：一个包括资源、数据库和出版物的链接，以及全文期刊文章的文档传递服务，另一个是一个研究议程特定网站，带有一个希望共享原始数据的研究网络服务器。MIMCom的其他重要组成部分是培训和评估部分。MIMCom于1997年由非洲研究人员构想，由美国国家医学图书馆与非洲、美国和英国的伙伴合作设计、实施和监督。这个项目清楚地表明，它可以在非洲远程研究地点的运作方面，在地点的增长和生产力方面以及在个别研究人员的职业生活方面产生积极的影响。本报告审查该项目的背景、运作方法，重点是当地需要和优先事项、成本效益和当地责任；注重技术网络的成果；系统文件化和双向信息交换；MIMCom网站；网络研究方法；以及财务可持续性。该报告总结了一个独立小组、多边疟疾倡议秘书处和美国国家医学图书馆的评估摘要。
"When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion" (Ethiopian folk adage). The Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Communications Network (MIMCom) facilitates a new way of doing research in Africa and African scientists' participation in the international scientific community. The MIMCom supports full access to the Internet and the resources of the WorldWide Web at 19 research sites in 11 African countries. Furthermore, the MIMCom project comprises two websites: one includes links to resources, databases, and publications as well as a document delivery service for full text journal articles, and the other is a research agenda specific website with a server for a research network desiring to share raw data. Other important components of MIMCom are training and evaluation components. The MIMCom was conceived in 1997 by African researchers and has been designed, implemented, and overseen by the U.S. National Library of Medicine in collaboration with partners in Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom. This project demonstrates clearly that it can make a positive difference in the functioning of remote research sites in Africa, in terms of site growth and productivity and in the professional lives of individual researchers. This report reviews the project's background, methods of operation with an emphasis on local needs and priorities, cost effectiveness, and local responsibility; results focusing on a technical network; documentation of the system and two-way exchange of information; the MIMCom website; a network approach to research; and financial sustainability. The report concludes with summaries of evaluations by an independent panel, the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Secretariat, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine.