How can we gauge the importance of Research4Life? One way is to look at scholarly output in nations with HINARI/AGORA/OARE access. While a cause-and-effect relationship can't be established, such access may be a factor in a nation's increase in scholarly output. For example, according to Dr. Andrew Plume, Senior Publishing Information Manager, Research & Academic Relations, Elsevier, Oxford, UK, countries benefiting from, for example, HINARI — launched in 2001 and providing journal access since 2002 — have seen a massive increase in the number of authors publishing in international peer-reviewed journals, well in excess of the increase seen in the remaining nations of the world.

When looking at the number of authors publishing in peer-reviewed journals over the five-year period 2002–2006, there is a 38% growth for non-HINARI countries but 63% growth for those signed up to HINARI. When looking at the number of authors publishing in peer-reviewed journals over the five-year period 1997–2001, there is a growth rate of 20% for both sets of countries.

Research4Life users regularly share their experiences on how access to these journals have impacted their work.

To celebrate Research4Life’s 10th anniversary in 2011, we launched a user experience competition. We asked users to share with us how the these programmes have improved their work, life and community. This impressive array of inspiring testimonies revealed a wealth of positive impacts brought about by Research4Life. This book celebrates the stories behind some of these competition entries. Download the booklet Research4Life - Making a Difference: Stories from the field.

Below you will find some more examples of the institutions – and their people – who are using the programmes, and the impact it is making on their research.