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Science and Development Network

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Science and Development Network
TypeOnline Media Outlet
Founder(s)David Dickson
Founded2001
Websitewww.scidev.net

SciDev.Net, short for Science Development Network, is an online source of news and analysis about science and technology in the context of global development. It aims to help individuals and organisations apply science to decision-making in order to promote sustainable development and poverty reduction. [1]

History

SciDev.Net was founded in 2001 by David Dickson as a science news service for developing countries. It originated from a project set up by news staff at the journal Nature (with financial assistance from the Wellcome Trust, United Kingdom) to report on the World Conference on Science, in Budapest, in 1999.[2] It was established in response to the significant gap in scientific knowledge between rich and poor countries and with the understanding that “those who stand to benefit the most from modern science and technology are also those with the least access to information about it." [3] SciDev.Net seeks to redress this imbalance via its free-to-access website, regional networks, and science communications training.

Ownership

Since 2017, SciDev.Net has been owned by CABI (CAB International), a not-for-profit organisation focusing primarily on agricultural and environmental issues in low- and middle-income countries, and the creation, curation, and dissemination of scientific knowledge. SciDev.Net operates editorially independently from CABI with its content overseen by an independent Editorial Advisory Group whose role is to ensure its editorial independence protocol is adhered to. [4] SciDev.Net has a global edition, which is based at CABI’s headquarters in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, and there are five regional desks covering Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia and Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa (English and French).

Website

The SciDev.Net website is made up of a global edition and five regional editions. It publishes in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and Arabic. Content includes news, analysis, opinions, in-depth features, podcasts, and data visualisations. Content is categorised under the following topics: agriculture, environment, health, governance, enterprise and communication. Articles are written mostly by freelance journalists, the majority of whom are based in low- and middle-income countries.

Podcasts

SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa editions produce a podcast series in English (Africa Science Focus), French (Santé, Science et Développement) and Arabic (The Spark). The podcasts feature scientists from across Africa and the Middle East talking about topical science issues and the impact of science on development in the region. In 2021, the Africa Science Focus podcast was awarded silver in the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards. [5]

Training

SciDev.Net has over 15 years’ experience of specifically supporting southern journalists and researchers to communicate scientific evidence through workshops and on-the-job mentoring. Since its inception, SciDev.Net has delivered workshops for approximately 1,500 journalists.

In 2013 SciDev.Net piloted a new approach to capacity building centered upon training for trainers. The new approach provides a blend of face-to-face workshops, networking programmes, awards, mentoring and online learning for journalists, researchers and policymakers.

Signing up

Visitors who sign-up with SciDev.Net receive a free weekly and/or daily email with all the latest stories from the website. These are available for each edition English, Spanish, Arabic and French. Those who sign-up can comment on articles and submit announcements, events, jobs and grants to the noticeboard for free and these are featured on the website and in the weekly emails.

RSS feeds

The latest news can appear instantly on other websites through a free SciDev.Net global, regional or topic specific newsfeed. Each newsfeed carries the latest news stories, including a headline, introductory sentence and link to the full article.

For busy researchers or editors who need to sift through information from many sources, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) enables instantaneous delivery of SciDev.Net news stories to a 'news reader' soon as they are published.

Creative Commons

All SciDev.Net website material is free to reproduce under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 licence. Under the terms of this licence users are permitted to copy, distribute, display and perform the content, and make derivative works so long as the original author and website are quoted as the source.

Hundreds of media outlets have syndicated SciDev.Net’s work including global media houses such as The Guardian, The BBC and The Thomson Reuters Foundation as well as regional news networks like AllAfrica, The Asian Scientist and Dawn.

Funders, supporters and partnerships

Funders of SciDev.Net include:[6]

  • UK Department for International Development (DFID)[7]
  • Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)[8]
  • International Development Research Centre (IDRC)[9]
  • The Wellcome Trust [10]
  • INASP[11]
  • Carnegie Corporation[12]

Partners SciDev.Net works with a range of organisations at global, regional and national levels to achieve shared objectives. These include:

  • Nature
  • Science
  • Guardian Environment Network
  • Guardian Development Network
  • AlertNet

SciDev.Net is also affiliated with TWAS, the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, based in Trieste, Italy.[13]

References

  1. ^ {{cite web |url=https://www.scidev.net/global/content/about-us.html
  2. ^ {{cite web |url=https://www.scidev.net/global/content/about-us.html
  3. ^ "Science and Development Network: International Development Research Centre". Archived from the original on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
  4. ^ {{cite web |url=https://www.scidev.net/global/content/about-us.html
  5. ^ {{cite web |url=https://sjawards.aaas.org/awards/field_award_category/audio-144/field_award_level/silver-12/field_award_year/2021-150The podcasts are published on the website and are available to download from a range of other platforms.
  6. ^ "Support us - SciDev.Net".
  7. ^ "Research for Development". Archived from the original on 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
  8. ^ "Start page | the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency".
  9. ^ "International Development Research Centre". Archived from the original on 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  10. ^ Australian Aid. http://aid.dfat.gov.au/Pages/home.aspx
  11. ^ "INASP – Home". www.inasp.info. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  12. ^ York, Carnegie Corporation of New. "Carnegie Corporation of New York". Carnegie Corporation of New York. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  13. ^ "TWAS". TWAS. Retrieved 2019-04-25.
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