1. THE IRO ACCRA AND IRC ACCRA PRESENT:
OPEN ACCESS DATABASES: THE POWER OF FREE, OPEN ACCESS RESOURCES NOW OPENS UP MANY RESEARCH POSSIBILITIES.
All you need is INTERNET: the DATABASES THEMSELVES are FREE; you can access them 24/7 and print, download, or any article that interests you. Many of these databases even allow you to place articles of interest in a folder, which only you can access.

2. OPEN ACCESS DATABASES: WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW TO USE THEM?
We will first discuss DOAJ and SSRN:
Directory of Open Access Journals
and:
SSRN: Social Sciences Research Network:
(SSRN covers all the Social Sciences, and Business, Law, Public Health, Entrepreneurship, Accounting, etc.)

3. First, some background? What is Open Source or Open Access?
An interesting example:
Coca-Cola has kept the “secret formula’ for its famed soft drink locked in vaults around the USA since 1911.
The Recipe for Open Cola, along with instructions for how to make it, is publicly available for anyone to use. Cola enthusiasts can adapt and improve the recipe, but must make their findings publicly available for other enthusiasts to test, taste, and improve.
Open Cola is “Open Source.” Coca Cola is not.
Another example is the Linux Operating Systems for computers – each person can make further refinements for all to use and then adapt even further.
Similarly, Open Access Databases are open to all. You can research any topic. Your future publications will make up these databases, and in some, you can even download to some databases publications you want to share with the world!

4. The World Bank’s Open Knowledge Repository (OKR): is an increasingly important Open Access Database
Topics the Open Knowledge Repository discusses are located here:
ASC&rpp=20&sort_by=-1&etal=- 1&offset=40&type=topic

5. OKR from the World Bank: Note the Search Function: openknowledge
OKR from the World Bank: Note the Search Function: openknowledge.worldbank.org/

6. Here is a search in the OKR (World Bank) on Climate Change and Africa

7. Results of that search: OKR, WORLD BANK

8. DOAJ: WWW.DOAJ.ORG; over 10,000 journals in all subject fields are now covered

9. The Search Feature of DOAJ: search on Ghana and Banks

10. We will now do a simple search in DOAJ, although this is not the best way to use this database: results of search on “Ghana and Banks”

11. We will now do a better search in DOAJ: this is the way the database was meant to be used; please use the BROWSE feature in the upper left and then BROWSE BY SUBJECT.

12. As noted, using search is not the best way to use the DOAJ database: Use the BROWSE feature at the top of the website

13. We will now look for Law and Political Science Journals using the Browse Journals feature

14. Here we find several journals in the discipline of Political Science
Here we find several journals in the discipline of Political Science. We will look at the contents for Africa Spectrum

15. Here are the contents for vol 47, no
Here are the contents for vol 47, no. 12 of Africa Spectrum: notice that all these are in FULL TEXT

16. Here is the Abstract for the article in Africa Spectrum on the topic of the Environment in Nigeria

17. And, here is the Full Text of that very article

18. Continuing the Full Text of the article

19. The other Open Access database I wish to discuss is the Social Sciences Research Network, or SSRN:

20. Access to the Full Text articles in SSRN is free, but you do need to register to access the database. Registration is FREE. --go to FREE REGISTRATON at Top Left

21. Once you register and sign into SSRN, you will note Search eLibrary to your left.

22. In this example, we are doing a search in SSRN’s eLibrary on the International Criminal Court and Africa -- note the search below

23. Results of that search…

24. Abstract of that article…

25. In this slide, note that SSRN gives you a suggested citation, and the complete contact information for the authors. Note that to access the full text you simply click on DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER

26. Full text of article once we download the paper

27. More of the full text : pg .3 of 49 pages

28. Note that with SSRN, you can add any article to a folder or “my briefcase,” additionally, you can it to anyone you wish.
Note additional terms you can use to locate similar articles, with Keywords to left.

29. To look for eTheses and eDissertations, go to the OpenDOAR project:

30. An additional site for locating eTheses and eDissertations and Scholarly publications on all topics is: (listing is by country)

31. Here are a few of roarmap’s listings for the United States: http://roarmap.eprints.org/

32. GOAP is the Global Open Access Project
To search for additional Open Access Databases in your specific subject areas, consult GOAP
GOAP is the Global Open Access Project
GOAP is sponsored by UNESCO
The URL of GOAP (listing THEMATIC AREAS) is:
and-information/portals-and- platforms/goap/thematic-areas/
The next slide shows the main website for GOAP

33. USE GOAP’s THEMATIC AREAS TO LOCATE ADDITIONAL OPEN ACCESS DATABASES in a specific subject area

34. For example, GOAP identifies these Open Access databases for the Sciences (in the next 2 slides)

35. Additional Open Access Databases for the Sciences from the GOAP website

36. NEW SEARCH ENGINE FOR LOCATING OPEN ACCESS RESOURCES: I have added all of these sites in a new customized search engine created for the convenience of searching in one centralized place.
This Search Engine is found at:
Please use it; it will save you time
In this search engine, you can limit your search to just dissertations by typing your desired search term and dissertation; for example:
Climate Change and Agriculture and dissertation
The IRC Accra hopes you find this to be useful.

37. For those interested in Science, here is an excellent Open Access Database
HIGHWIRE FROM STANFORD UNIVERSITY

39. Note the Search Feature of Highwire: searching robotics and human in the title only

40. Results of that search: note the Full Text format is to the right of each citation

41. For those of you in Medicine and Public Health, PubMed Search is an excellent Open Access Database
PubMed’s Advanced Search option is:
MEDICINE: NOW AVAILABLE: SCREENCAST: BUILDING A PUBMED SEARCH AND USING SEARCH BUILDER
PUB MED SEARCHES OF MEDICAL LITERATURE FREE!
PUBMED TUTORIALS FROM THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE: FREE
MERCKMEDICUS: BUILDING A PUB MED SEARCH
PUBMED (for setting up automatic ALERTS)
PubMed provides access to over 21 million citations from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and other related databases. Links to selected online journals, some freely available, are also included. Updated monthly.

42. Here is a search on Antibiotic Resistance in Pub Med’s Advanced Search

43. Results of that search in Pub Med: note the full text options (red arrow)

44. For those of you in Education, ERIC is an excellent choice as an Open Access Database
ERIC – Education Resources Information Center
URL --
Description: The ERIC DATABASE is the largest free database of Educational Literature.
ERIC is an online digital library of education research and information. ERIC provides ready access to education literature to support the use of educational research and information to improve practice in learning, teaching, educational decision-making, and research.

45. Searching the ERIC Database: a sample search on curriculum standards mathematics

46. One result of that ERIC search: note the Full Text (where the Happy Face is!) and the Abstract

47. For those of you in Economics, I recommend three fantastic Open Access Databases
ECONOMICS AND SOCIAL STUDIES SCHOLARSHIP: RePEc: RESEARCH PAPERS IN ECONOMICS
and ECONOMICS IDEAS:
RESOURCES FOR ECONOMISTS ON THE INTERNET (sponsored by AMERICAN ECONOMICS ASSOCIATION)
The SSRN database ( described earlier is also excellent for Economics

48. For NGOs wanting to access Manuals, Toolkits and best practices from NGOs/Civil Society Organizations around the world, try ELDIS:

49. Searching the ELDIS database for the subject of Street Children : all in Full text format

50. Clicking on “Subscribe” will retrieve Eldis’s automatic newsfeeds (RSS) on topics of interest to NGOs/ Civil Society organizations

51. The URLs are as follows:
We will now look at three new databases; network.bepress.com and a combined search of the holdings of Digital Libraries in the U.S.A. and Europe.
The URLs are as follows:
Open Access Theses and Dissertations: Covers over 2 million dissertations and theses from around the world.
The Digital Commons Network: Open Access Resources, Scholarly Articles, in all subject areas
Combined Search of the Digital Public Library of America and Europeana: Digital Libraries of Europe:

52. WWW.OATD.ORG; Note description to left; best to use the Advanced Search option.

53. Here we are doing a search in OATD on Climate Change and Agriculture and Africa

54. Here are a few of the results of that search

55. And.. here is the full text of one of the dissertations we retrieved via this search…

56. The Digital Commons Network: http://network. bepress
The Digital Commons Network: note description on bottom left

57. Here is an article on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s THE GREAT GATSBY in the Digital Commons Network, note link to downloading full text of this study.

58. Another Example: The free, full fext of an article on Chinua Achebe in the Digital Commons Network (network.bepress.com)

59. Finally, a new search engine allowing you to locate materials in both American and European Digital Libraries: EXAMPLE: How Hip Hop has affected European and American cultures)
Search Engine is here

60. An example of a result of this search in Digital Libraries of America and Europe

61. Additional Open Access Databases in many areas may be found in the Open Access Webliography in my IRO Website:

62. www.tinyurl.com/6dfaxn The website is updated weekly
On this website, you will find free PowerPoints on Open Education Resources, eLibraryUSA, Customized Search Engines, among many other topics
The website is updated weekly

63. http://goo.gl/fA1re The URL is
Two Customized Search Engines especially for students and scholars that may be of interest: one is for locating eDissertations, eTheses, and Think Tank, and University Research Studies and Publications. URL below:
The URL is

64. Example of this Search Engine: you can search on any topic

65. The other customized Search Engine is for locating studies on Economics, Economic Research, and Economic Statistics
URL is:

66. Thanks for your attention!
IRO PERRY, ACCRA:
for IRC ACCRA:
Rita Awuku, IRC DIRECTOR, ACCRA
Jennifer Yeboah, IRC OUTREACH, ACCRA
This Powerpoint was revised November 27, 2013