Global Access to Research Software: The Forgotten Pillar of Open Science Implementation

Executive Summary

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The Global Young Academy (GYA), in collaboration with the Oxford-based organisation INASP, carried out a pilot survey to assess the quantity and quality of access to proprietary and open source software among researchers from all disciplines. Survey data were collected between July and December 2015, and data analysis took place from January to December 2016. Emphasis was placed on gathering data from researchers based in Bangladesh, Ghana and Nigeria, whose access to and use of research software had not yet been extensively documented. These results provide the foundation for more detailed research in different countries and can serve as a preliminary guide for new private initiatives and policy decisions with regard to improving access to software for scientists all over the world.

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