Access to information and knowledge is one of the pillars of inclusion, both social and academic and scientific. International Literacy Day, celebrated on September 8th, is a reminder that the ability to learn, research, and innovate depends on having access to quality knowledge.
FCCN, the digital services unit of the Foundation for Science and Technology, contributes daily to this objective through a set of services and initiatives that promote open access to scientific knowledge, reducing economic, geographical and institutional barriers for students, researchers and citizens, thus contributing to more equitable access to information and knowledge.
Making scientific knowledge more accessible
In a context where scientific production is constantly growing, ensuring that its results can be consulted, reused, and shared is essential to promoting a more informed and participatory society.
It is in this context that the RCAAP, Open Access Scientific Repositories of PortugalThrough this infrastructure, thousands of scientific publications produced in national institutions can be freely searched and consulted, increasing the visibility of knowledge produced in Portugal and facilitating access to it.
By making articles, theses, dissertations, and other research results available, RCAAP contributes to democratizing knowledge and bringing it closer to those who need it to learn, teach, or research.
Knowledge without borders
THE b-on, Online Knowledge Library, This is another example of FCCN's commitment to the democratization of knowledge, by providing higher education and research institutions with access to some of the most relevant international scientific publications.
By bringing together content from multiple publishers in a single national infrastructure, b-on allows students, teachers, and researchers to use the resources needed to develop their academic and scientific work.
At the international level, FCCN also participates in initiatives such as... Open Research Europe (ORE)This participation contributes to a more open, accessible, and collaborative science on a European scale. It reinforces Portugal's commitment to disseminating and promoting scientific knowledge produced with public funding.
Promoting Open Science in Portugal
Promoting access to knowledge also involves implementing policies and practices that encourage Open Science in Portugal. The Foundation for Science and Technology plays a relevant role in this area through... Policy on Open Access to Scientific Publications, contributing to ensuring that the results of publicly funded research can be widely available and reused by the scientific community and society.
At the national level, this objective is also achieved through the ecosystem. PTCRIS, which promotes the integration of science management systems and facilitates access to reliable and up-to-date scientific information, following the principle "Register once, reuse multiple times". In parallel, the Polen It supports researchers and institutions in adopting best practices for publishing and managing research data, contributing to making the knowledge produced in Portugal more visible, accessible, and reusable.
In an increasingly digital world, inclusion therefore means ensuring that knowledge is available to all. Access to scientific information, research results, and educational resources remains a fundamental tool for promoting lifelong learning, innovation, and more informed participation in society.
