The task of preparing a training manual on Agricultural Research Institute Management began with the FAO Expert Consultation on Strategies for Research Management Training in Africa, held at the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12-16 December 1983. Following the recommendations of the consultation, and on the basis of the curriculum design adopted, FAO embarked upon the preparation of this manual. In the process of its preparation, many agricultural research managers and management specialists have contributed. Besides the two main consultants, namely Dr Ronald P. Black, Denver Research Institute, University of Denver, USA, who prepared the first draft, and Dr V.N. Asopa, Professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Anmedabad, India, who prepared the current version of the manual, the contribution of the following specialists in various fields must be singled out: Ramesh Bhat, J. Casas, A.K. Jain, F.S. Kanwar, V. Martinson, Gopal Naik, P. Nath, R.K. Patel, T.P. Rama Rao, S.K. Sharma, E.S. Tayengco, and J.S. Woolston. FAO expresses its gratitude to them all.
Special thanks are due to the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR), which has willingly made available its valuable experience and relevant materials throughout the preparation of the manual.
FAO also thanks all those authors and publishers who have allowed the use of copyright material from their publications, even though the courtesy is recognized in each case.
This manual has been prepared under the responsibility of the Research Development Centre, Research and Technology Development Division, FAO, with the guidance of:
Mohamed S. Zehni, former Director; and J.H. Monyo, E. Venezian and B. Müller-Haye, former Chiefs of the Research Development Centre. Scientific supervision was provided by G. Beye, Senior Officer, now Chief, Research Technology Development Service.
MODULE 9: INFORMATION SERVICES AND DOCUMENTATION
This module consists of five sessions:
1. SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION IN A DEVELOPING-COUNTRY RESEARCH INSTITUTION.2. INFORMATION AS AN INPUT TO RESEARCH.
3. INFORMATION AS AN OUTPUT OF RESEARCH.
4. COOPERATION IN NATIONAL PROGRAMMES.
5. EXERCISE ON BARRIERS TO THE FLOW OF INFORMATION.
The objectives of this module are:
· to emphasize the importance of information,· to indicate the type of information needed and possible sources of that information, and
· to identify the most common services a research institution's information system should be expected to offer, with the concomitant implications for the design of an information system.
Keeping these objectives in mind, the resource person could combine the first four sessions into two long sessions, present all the four sessions individually, or present only selected sessions. The overall effect should be to engender an understanding of the need for and requirements of an information system capable of supporting scientific activities in a research institute.
The exercise should be carried out by the participants so that they themselves identify barriers to the flow of information in their countries, clearly delineate the functions of information services, and appreciate important decisions to be made in information system design.
