On May 25, 2011, I made an invited presentation in Geneva, Switzerland at the 14^th session of the United Nations’ Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD).  I want to share with you the reception WorldWideScience.org received at this conference.

Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland

CSTD and OSTI share similar goals.  CSTD supports universal access for all to scientific knowledge.  OSTI seeks to share DOE R&D results with as many people as possible and we partner with other organizations to create integrated products designed to attract users.

Meeting attendees came from around the world and included Ministers and high-level representatives of governments, civil society representatives, businessmen, academia and representatives of international and regional organizations.  I was asked to specifically speak about WorldWideScience.org and how it enables and equalizes access to worldwide scientific knowledge. 

I wish more of my OSTI colleagues could have been in Geneva to share the warm response from the attendees.   Several country representatives offered up new sources for WWS.  Another member of the audience searched mobile WWS for his own name and remarked that he found many of his papers.  I received enthusiastic comments, so many that I couldn’t address all of them because of time constraints.  Significantly, the Chair of CSTD volunteered to pay the costs of becoming a member of the WorldWideScience Alliance.  There was great excitement about the possibilities for its use within the home countries of the attendees and how WWS advances the goals of CSTD. 

The enormity of the content of WWS, the pedigree of the sources it integrates, the eye-opening technology that makes it possible, and its availability at no cost to everyone in the world with internet access, all combine to make a uniquely powerful tool that generates keen interest, even excitement, with every audience.   Now that OSTI colleagues and I have made several such presentations to diverse audiences over the last few years, it is apparent that enthusiastic receptions of WWS are the norm, rather than the exception.

Clear indications of encouragement from diverse audiences, coupled with OSTI’s rapidly increasing web traffic, show that we are on the right track and increasing the visibility of DOE R&D results. Everyone connected with OSTI should find such feedback enormously gratifying. I know I do.

Walt Warnick

Director, OSTI