Open access in Africa : Seizing the opportunity for innovation in knowledge development

Abstract

Open access presents Africa and the knowledge society in general, with an opportunity to improve access to scholarly information, preserve its information and create new methods of work and scholarly collaboration around knowledge development. Open access calls for a change and innovation in education, as we have known it, while it provides Africa an opportunity to be a net contributor to knowledge development, and in occupying digital knowledge spaces. This paper addresses innovation and knowledge development opportunities that open access affords the continent of Africa. It outlines the developments of Open Access and common expressions of Open Access on the continent.