Access Journals

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

About aRDi

Eligibility

Registration

Payment

Getting started

Using aRDi

Sister programs

 

About aRDi?

What is aRDi ?

aRDi (Access to Research for Development and Innovation) is a program developed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and its partners in the publishing industry. Its objective is to facilitate the widespread sharing of information contained in scientific and technical journals, contributing to a reduction of the knowledge gap between richer and poorer countries and facilitating a greater participation on the part of the developing and least developed countries in the benefits of the global knowledge economy.

Who administers aRDi?

aRDi is coordinated by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Who are the aRDi partner publishers?

The aRDi partner publishers are the world’s leading scientific and technical publishers.

When was aRDi started ?

aRDi was launched in July 2009.

How long will aRDi continue?

The partners are committed to maintaining aRDi in its current format until 2015.

What do "Group 1" and "Group 2" mean?

The groups are two sets of countries selected according to gross national income (GNI) per capita (World Bank figures, 2006). Academic and research institutions and patent offices in least-developed countries, as defined by the United Nations, are eligible for free access (Group 1). Patent offices in countries with a GNI of less than US$3500 per year pay a fee of 1100 Swiss francs per year (Group 2). Patent offices in Group 2 are entitled to a 3-month free trial with aRDi.

How much does it cost to use aRDi?

If your institution is a patent office or an academic or research institution in a Group 1 country, then aRDi is free. In Group 2 countries, aRDi costs 1100 Swiss francs per institution per calendar year (from January through December). This cost remains fixed no matter what point during the calendar year the institution registers.

How can I become a partner publisher?

The main requirements for participation are that the journals to be contributed be in scientific and technical fields of inquiry and that they be available online in their full text version. Please write us at patentscope@wipo.int for further details on submitting your journals to aRDi.

  

Eligibility

 Who is eligible to register for aRDi?

WIPO will only accept registrations for aRDi made on behalf of institutions; registrations for individuals will not be accepted. Eligible institutions are: patent offices in Group 1 or Group 2 countries; and academic and research institutions in Group 1 countries.

 Which types of institutions are eligible?

Eligible institutions are: patent offices in Group 1 or Group 2 countries; and academic and research institutions in Group 1 countries (e.g., universities, colleges, and professional schools, national research centers).

 What is a patent office?

For the purposes of aRDi, a patent office is a governmental or intergovernmental authority entrusted with the granting of patents.

 Is my patent law firm/trade association/NGO eligible to participate as a patent office?

No, only national or regional patent offices, that is to say governmental or intergovernmental authorities entrusted with the granting of patents, are eligible to participate in aRDi.

 How can I find out if my country is eligible to participate?

You can consult the list of eligible countries.

 How does aRDi determine which countries are eligible?

The eligibility of a country is based on a threshold GNI per capita (World Bank figures, 2006) and is decided in collaboration with aRDI’s partner publishers. Academic and research institutions and patent offices in least developed countries (Group 1), as defined by the United Nations, are eligible for free access. Patent offices in countries with a GNI of less than US$3500 per year (Group 2) are generally eligible for access for a fee of 1100 Swiss francs per calendar year.

 Why are some countries not eligible if GNI is less than US$3500?

The publishers participating in aRDi have not, for the time being, extended their offer to countries where they have significant levels of existing subscriptions and, in some cases, local sales staff.

  

Registration

How can I register my institution for aRDi?

If your institution meets the eligibility criteria, please complete the online registration form. Only one registration is required per institution. Please ensure that all of the fields in the registration form are completed with the information requested. Failure to complete all of the fields in the form will result in delays in processing your institution’s application.

Who can register their institution for aRDi?

Anyone at an eligible institution may submit a registration form for aRDi on behalf of his/her institution, but once the registration is processed the login instructions and password will be sent to the librarian and director identified on the registration form. You will need to follow up with them to get the password to start using aRDi.

I filled out and submitted the registration form. Can I access aRDi now?

Once the completed registration form has been processed, a user agreement with terms of use and instructions on getting started using aRDi will be sent to your institution.

I filled out and submitted the registration form, but I have not received any further information concerning my registration. What should I do?

In general, an email confirming receipt of your completed registration form will be sent to you within a few days of submission. If you do not receive such an email, please verify that you have provided an accurate email address for yourself and/or for your institution and check that the email has not been treated as spam.

Once an institution is registered, who may use aRDi?

All members of a registered institution (researchers, teaching and administrative staff, students) and its on-site visitors are eligible to access aRDi as long as they abide by the guidelines set out in the user agreement.

What do I do if my institution is registered, but the username and password have not been shared with its members?

If your institution has been issued a username and password that has not yet been shared with all members, please send us an email at patentscope@wipo.int so that we may help ensure you and all others are provided access.

  

Payment

How can my institution make the payment?

An invoice containing payment instructions will be sent by email to your institution. If you do not receive the invoice, please verify that you have provided an accurate email address for your institution and check that the email has not been treated as spam.

Are all currencies accepted for the payment?

Payments must be made in Swiss francs.

Is there a contact in case I encounter problems with payment?

Any queries concerning payment can be addressed at patentscope@wipo.int

How long does the free trial last for patent offices in Group 2?

The free trial lasts for 3 months for patent offices in Group 2.

  

Getting started

What equipment do I need in order to use aRDi?

In order to get started, you will need a computer connected to the Internet with a high-speed (56k baud rate or higher) connection. It is advisable to use an up-to-date version of your web browser in order to ensure full functionality of publisher websites accessible through aRDi.

Can aRDi help me obtain computer equipment and online access?

Unfortunately aRDi cannot help you obtain computer equipment or online access. However, aRDi users may be able to obtain additional resources from their institutions and/or other local charitable organizations.

I do not have the software needed to view journal articles. What can I do?

Journal articles are commonly made available in PDF format. In order to view such documents, you will need to download a recent version of Adobe Reader.

My institution is registered for aRDi. How do I get the login information?

If you know that your institution is registered, contact your librarian/head of information services or your director. These are the officials who are provided with the login instructions and password. If you cannot locate the appropriate individual at your institution, contact patentscope@wipo.int , and you will be given the name of the persons provided with this information.

I received the username and password but cannot log in. What do I do?

Please ensure that you are typing the correct password, if necessary, cutting and pasting it from the instructions provided to your institution on using aRDi. Common problems include use of incorrect capitalization (passwords are case-sensitive) and adding unnecessary spaces to username and/or password. If you still cannot log in, send a message to us at patentscope@wipo.int, and we will try to help.

How can I access a particular journal(s)?

In order to access the journals, you must first log into aRDi website, using the username and password provided to your institution. Once you have logged in, you can continue from the aRDi portal page to the list of journal titles to which registered users have access. To access a particular journal, simply click on the journal title, and you will be taken to the journal homepage.

  

Using aRDi

Can I share the aRDi password with colleagues at my institution?

Although you may not post the password on the internet, users are encouraged to share it with other legitimate members of their registered institution.

Can I access aRDi outside of my institution?

Access to the journals may only be provided from computers or other digital installations owned by or under the direct control of the institution or from personal computers owned personally by the employees, faculty or students of the institution. However, if a member of your institution encounters a unique problem or has a special need, please send an email to patentscope@wipo.int immediately, so we can work with you to ensure appropriate access is given.

May I download complete journal issues or books?

No. You may not download complete journal issues or books. However, you may download and save limited numbers of articles or chapters from any one journal issue or book, not to exceed 15% of the issue or book.

Can I supply my students with publications printed from aRDi for my classes?

Academic and teaching staff may make copies in print or digital form of articles for course packs. If the copies are supplied in digital form, these electronic copies must be deleted at the end of the semester.

Why can’t I get access to the full-text of a journal if I link directly from the publisher’s website?

In order to access journal articles, it is necessary to pass through the aRDi authentication system. If you go directly to the publisher’s website, it will not recognize you as a registered user, and you will be denied access to the content to which aRDi users regularly have access.

Is there a list of all of the aRDi journals?

A list of all the journals made available through aRDi can be found on the Journals.

Can I make suggestions to aRDi for including new journals?

Yes, we encourage you to send suggestions that will help us to improve aRDi to patentscope@wipo.int. The purpose of aRDi is to serve its participants. The more feedback we receive from you, the better the system will be able to meet your information needs.

Why are few French and Spanish journals in the collection?

The majority of journals in the aRDi collection are in English as provided by the participating publishers. aRDi does not translate journals. We are continuing to add journals to aRDi. Publishers of technical and scientific journals available in languages besides English who are interested in becoming partner publishers should contact us at patentscope@wipo.int for more information.

Are back issues of journals also available?

Many of the journals to which access in provided through aRDi do offer access to back issues. However, journal site content, including policies on back issues, is determined by each publisher and will vary accordingly.

  

Sister programs

What are AGORA, HINARI and OARE?

AGORA, HINARI, and OARE are parallel initiatives facilitating access to online journals, which are closely coordinated with aRDi. AGORA is administered by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), HINARI by the  World Health Organization (WHO) and OARE by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

How can my institution gain access to AGORA, HINARI and OARE?

You can find information on how to register for AGORA, HINARI and OARE on their websites.

Are there other initiatives for accessing online journals?

In addition to AGORA, aRDi, HINARI and OARE,  there are other programs which allow users from developing countries to access online journals free or at low-cost. They include the Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information (PERI), managed by the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP); Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL); the Ptolemy Project; and the Free Access to Developing Economies program from HighWire.

  

Access to Research for Development and Innovation (aRDi)

Enlaces