INASP is a co-operative network of partners aiming to improve worldwide access to information. It has three immediate objectives:
- to map, support and strengthen existing activities promoting access to and dissemination of scientific and scholarly information
- to identify, encourage and support new initiatives that will increase local publication and general access to high quality scientific and scholarly materials
- to promote in-country capacity building in information production, organization, access and dissemination.
INASP is a programme of the International Council for Science (ICSU). INASP has a bi-annual Newsletter and prepares several directories.
The WWW site contains: information on the programmes, including Health Information Forum programme to support health information providers, which also runs “HIF-net at WHO” email discussion list (see separate entry); African Journals Online (AJOL) service offering contents and abstracts of articles; full text of newsletter, and a series of pages on Publishing Support Initiatives. Also includes an extensive Links & Resources Section of WWW sites related to information and communication development, and electronic networks and ICT in developing countries (especially in relation to book and journals publishing in the countries of the South and scholarly communication). Includes sections on health information networks and information provision for South-South rural development.