Qatar National Library, in partnership with the Knowledge E Foundation, hosted the third Annual Forum for Open Research (FORM) in MENA. The three-day conference brought together leading researchers, policymakers and innovators from across the Middle East and North Africa to explore and advance open research practices in the region.
Launched by the Knowledge E Foundation in 2022 as an independent non-profit initiative, FORM aims to support the region’s research communities and stakeholder groups in their journey towards a more ‘open’ world.
Using the theme, “Transforming Knowledge into Action,” this year’s edition delved into the latest trends and opportunities in open research in a bid to help streamline the global transition towards more accessible, sustainable and inclusive research models.
His Excellency Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library, said: "This year's forum emphasizes a cause central to our mission at Qatar National Library—advancing open research and fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge exchange that yields tangible, impactful results. The Library has spared no effort in supporting the growth and prosperity of open science ecosystems, both in Qatar and across the region. We remain steadfast in our commitment to engage with our local and global communities, preserve Qatar’s rich history and culture, and collaborate with international institutions to expand the reach of knowledge."
"Open access is one of our core values," he added. "We believe in offering unrestricted access to our collections and services, ensuring knowledge is within everyone’s reach. This not only allows us to safeguard our nation’s heritage, but also empowers the people of Qatar to positively impact society by creating an environment conducive to learning, discovery, and innovation."
Tan Huism, QNL’s Executive Director, said the Library’s commitment to supporting and facilitating research continues to grow as it builds on its initiatives to promote and advocate for open research practices in collaboration with various organizations across the region.
“Through initiatives such as the Manara – Qatar Research Repository, our Open Access Fund, and events like today’s, we pursue our objective of promoting open access that increases the impact and visibility of published works, which ultimately advances our mission of serving as a hub for learning, cultural development, and personal growth,” Ms. Tan said.
The Library is a leader in open access in the MENA region, providing services through transformative read and publish agreements. These include an article processing charge (APC) fund to cover processing charges for open access journals, and a digital research repository to support a permanent archive of Qatar-based research. Since 2018, the Qatar National Library consortium has funded the publication of more than 5,000 articles.
Last year, the Library also launched Manara - Qatar Research Repository, which captures, preserves and provides access to scholarly research created in the country. Manara supports both Arabic and English traditional research outputs, such as articles, conference proceedings, and monographs, as well as non-traditional outputs in the form of datasets and software, multimedia materials, posters and presentations.
Since its launch, Manara now hosts more than 6,700 open access items and has garnered over 173,000 views and 105,000 downloads.
