Citizen science is a research collaboration between scientists and volunteers who provide data for education, conservation, and environmental protection. Volunteers, often the locals in the area, provide data on species occurrence while researchers perform distribution mapping or other data analysis. Social networking sites including Facebook,…

The present article addresses the issue of structuration of the field of Comparative Education in Portugal. The narrative is constructed at two levels, one of a more descriptive nature, the other more interpretative. In the first part of the text, the construction of a comparative imagination is addressed on the basis of four main points in time:…

Building open access in Africa is imperative not only for African scholars and researchers doing scientific research but also for the expansion of the global science and technology knowledgebase. This paper examines the structure of homegrown initiatives, and observes very low level of awareness prevailing in the higher educational institutions…

The growing enthusiasm for international engagement among U.S. universities reflects the great potential gains that participation offers to both U.S. and international partners. To ensure that the benefits of such partnerships are achieved, potential participants must carefully examine and explicitly discuss their personal and institutional…

Spurred on by new discoveries and rapid technological advances, the capacity for life science research is expanding across the globe-and with it comes concerns about the unintended impacts of research on the physical and biological environment, human well-being, or the deliberate misuse of knowledge, tools, and techniques to cause harm. This…

Micronutrient malnutrition affects the health and well being of 3 billion people globally. Identifying means to improve the micronutrient density in the edible portions of crops is an important way to combat nutrient deficiencies. By studying how plants obtain micronutrients from the soil, we can develop methods to enhance uptake. Although more…

This article reports on new programs that focus on training skilled scientists and mathematicians who will help solve Africa's myriad problems. The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, in Cape Town, South Africa, offers one of the first working examples of a growing effort to develop a cadre of highly trained, practically minded scientists…

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has put together this brochure on its contribution to Africa's Plan for Science and Technology to 2010 in the lead up to the forthcoming African Union Summit, in January 2007, and the meeting of African Ministers of Science and Technology November 23-24, 2006. The theme…

Examination of the state's role in the creation of scientific information in African countries discusses economic and political arguments for state intervention and two methods of intervention--regulation and resource allocation. It is concluded that African states suffer from deficits in resources, expertise, and authority. Efforts to implement a…