Editing Talk:Main Page (section)

== Open Access Movement in Nepal ==

Open Access Movement in Nepal
Overview

The Open Access (OA) movement in Nepal seeks to improve the availability, dissemination, and accessibility of research and educational resources. Over the years, Nepal has made measurable progress through advocacy, national repositories, institutional policies, and collaborations with global OA initiatives.

Historical Development and Key Milestones

Early Advocacy and Awareness

Open Access Nepal, a student-led advocacy initiative, was established around 2014 to raise awareness among students, researchers, librarians, and journal editors. 
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The first International Open Access Week held in Nepal was in October 2014, co‑organized by Open Access Nepal, EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries), and the Right to Research Coalition. 
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Central Open Access Repository

Between 2011 and 2013, with funding from EIFL, the Nepal Library and Information Consortium (NeLIC), in partnership with The Social Science Baha and Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya, launched a central OA repository using DSpace software. 
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This repository was promoted through workshops, meetings (12 meetings + one‑day workshop), engaging over 285 participants from universities, colleges, research centres, NGOs, and libraries. 
EIFL

Institutional Open Access Policies

Some institutions in Nepal have adopted open access policies. For instance, the Institute of Medicine (Nepal) developed an internal policy to encourage faculty to publish in OA journals. 
Creative Commons

Open Access Nepal and other civil society groups have pushed for a national open access / open science policy. 
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Open Science and Libraries

The Nepal Library Association (NLA) is promoting open science (which includes open access), and has committed to building infrastructure such as an Open Journal System (OJS) to support open scholarly publishing. 
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Recent discourse (e.g., IFLA presentations) emphasize the role of Nepalese libraries in multilingual open science, digitization of local content, and knowledge equity. 
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Key Institutions and Stakeholders

Nepal Library and Information Consortium (NeLIC)

Established in December 2009. 
nla.org.np
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oknp.org
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Works on electronic resource sharing, library cooperation, open access advocacy, open‑source software (FOSS), and copyright issues. 
oknp.org

Actively supported by EIFL in launching OA initiatives. 
EIFL

EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries)

Has provided financial and technical support to NeLIC and other local partners in Nepal since 2008. 
EIFL

Helps negotiate open access publishing agreements, advocate copyright reform, and supports OA awareness programs. 
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Open Access Nepal

A grassroots, student‑driven network that promotes OA awareness, organizes workshops, and advocates for policy change. 
EIFL

Linked with global OA movements such as the Right to Research Coalition. 
oknp.org

NepJOL (Nepal Journals Online)

An open-access platform maintained by Tribhuvan University Central Library, hosting hundreds of Nepali scholarly journals across disciplines. 
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Helps local researchers publish and access research in Nepali and English. 
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Nepal Library Association (NLA)

Supports open science and open access through promoting open journals, conducting training, and building infrastructure. 
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Publishes Access: An International Journal of Nepal Library Association, which is open access under a Creative Commons license. 
NepJol

OLE Nepal

Runs E-Pustakalaya, a digital library for school-age learners, offering free downloadable and readable content even in low-bandwidth settings. 
Wikipedia

Contributes to open educational resources (OER) that align with OA principles.

Academic Journals

Several Nepali journals are fully open access, e.g., the Journal of Nepal Health Research Council. 
Wikipedia

Journal of Nepal Medical Association also publishes open-access research. 
Wikipedia

Policy Challenges & Barriers

Lack of a Comprehensive National Policy

Although there have been advocacy efforts, as of now (based on available sources) there is no unified, mandatory national-level OA policy for all higher education and research institutions in Nepal.

Institutional OA policies are still limited to only a few organizations (e.g., medical institutions). 
Creative Commons

Sustainability of Repositories

Maintaining repositories (e.g., the central OA repository) requires ongoing technical and financial support. The initial DSpace‑based repository was launched with donor funding, but long-term sustainability is a challenge. 
EIFL

Metadata quality, standardization, and consistency across institutional repositories remain concerns. 
ir.inflibnet.ac.in

Researcher Engagement

Some researchers may lack awareness of OA benefits or struggle with self-archiving due to technical or policy obstacles.

Institutional incentives (for faculty to deposit work in repositories) are not yet widespread.

Language & Inclusivity

Many OA repositories and content are in English. Efforts to support Nepali-language and other local language content are still emerging. 
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Rural and under-resourced institutions may lack infrastructure or training to fully participate in OA initiatives.

Recent Developments & Future Directions

Libraries in Nepal are increasingly framing OA as part of Open Science, not just open access to publications. 
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The National Digital Library Project: According to recent reports, efforts are underway (with support from development partners) to digitize public library collections (e.g., National Library, Kaiser Library) and make them accessible through a digital platform. 
IFLA Repository

OA advocacy continues via Open Access Nepal with regional workshops and university-level outreach. 
EIFL

There is growing discussion (among libraries, policymakers, and civil society) about institutional OA mandates, multilingual repositories, and bridging digital divides through inclusive open science.

Significance and Impact

The open access movement in Nepal helps democratize research and knowledge, especially for students, researchers, and policy makers who may lack access to expensive subscription journals.

By improving access to Nepali research through NepJOL and institutional repositories, OA strengthens local scholarship visibility and global engagement.

Libraries, especially through NeLIC and NLA, play a key role in promoting OA infrastructure, capacity-building, and policy advocacy.

Open educational resources (OER), promoted by organizations like OLE Nepal, support education equity — particularly in remote or under-resourced areas.

References

“EIFL in Nepal.” EIFL. 
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“The central open access repository in Nepal.” EIFL case study. 
EIFL

“Expanding access to research in Nepal.” EIFL news. 
EIFL

“Open Access Week 2014 Celebrated in Nepal.” OKNP blog. 
oknp.org

“Building an Institutional Open Access Policy In Nepal.” Creative Commons. 
Creative Commons

“Open Science.” Nepal Library Association. 
nla.org.np

Subedi, Pushparaj. Bridging Mountains and Minds: The Role of Libraries in Advancing Equitable and Multilingual Open Science in Nepal. IFLA. 
IFLA Repository
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“NeLIC | Nepal Library & Information Consortium.” NeLIC official site. 
nelic.org

“Nepal Journals Online (NepJOL).” NepJOL official site. 
NepJol

“QA with Open Access Activist of Nepal.” OKNP. 
oknp.org

“About the Journal: Access (Nepal Library Association).” NepJOL. 
NepJol

Aryal, J. “Use and importance of open access in Nepal during …” – research paper. 
ink.library.smu.edu.sg

“Open Access Repositories.” Nepal Administrative Staff College. 
nasc.org.np

Open Access Nepal. Facebook page. 
Facebook

“Open Access in Nepal: EIFL‑OA case study (pdf).” EIFL. 
EIFL

“Open University of Nepal: A White Paper.” 
nrnawp.elixirinfosys.com.np

Journal of Nepal Health Research Council. 
Wikipedia

Journal of Nepal Medical Association. 
Wikipedia

Subedi, Pushparaj. “Digital Repositories and Local Language Integration.” IFLA. 
IFLA Repository