Kenya’s academic researchers and university students will soon have access to an online tool known as Hadithi, allowing them to access published research papers and reports.
Hadithi aims to collaborate with academic institutions that have implemented open access policies, meaning the publications will be accessible online at no cost and free from copyright and licensing restrictions.
Users will be able to upload their own papers through bulk uploads, email or the upload function provided on the site.
“Search and download publications of your choice. Our systems automatically keep a record of your last 10 downloads and save the files in your bookshelf. Additionally, we store information through your browser’s cache to make suggestions on documents you might be interested in all of this to improve your learning experience,” the organisation stated.
The organisation aims to solve the student’s issue of lack of access to information, despite the fact that most universities have internet connections. It is said that 70 percent of students in local universities search for academic downloads for their course work.
Africa produces 27,000 papers annually, which is considered low. The platform will source relevant material from other parts of the world to make the repository content-rich. The more relevant aspect for the student is that accessing information through the platform will be free of charge.
The launch of the platform will be at Nairobi’s Strathmore University. Guests expected to speak at the launch include permanent secretary at the Ministry of Information and Communication Bitange Ndemo, Alex Gakuru, Programme Manager of Africa for Creative Commons, Joe Mucheru, Sub-Saharan Africa Ambassador for Google, and Prof. Meoli Kashorda, Executive Director at KENET.
