The AGRIS Network that exists since 1975 and provides links and metadata to scientific agricultural information supports the accessibility and exchange of Agricultural knowledge. Since 2007 AGRIS works with the Open Access principles by promoting full text entries and by introducing corresponding tools and interoperability standards.

The AGRIS Network consists of more than 150 institutions and collaborates inter alia with CIARD, CGIAR and GFAR. It includes more than four million bibliographic records and from the 500,000 resources that have been harvested and indexed during the last five years 50% lead the users to full-text publications.

Especially in 2012 there was high increase of full-text links. Interoperability is guaranteed by the use of the OAI-PMH protocol which is also employed by Service providers such as ScIELO or DOAJ and by the fact that AGRIS can also use data from different metadata formats.

FurthermoreAGRIS promotes software used internationally that support the creation of online repositories like AgriDrupal or AgriOceanDSpace and is facilitated by the OA services in the CIARD ring.

“It is witness of a growing awareness of Open Access journals that address us to have their data incorporated in the AGRIS Network”, concludes Stefano Anibaldi.