Access to primary and secondary literature from peripheral or less developed countries

Scientists in less developed and peripheral countries have difficulty in accessing and acquiring primary and secondary literature. A regression analysis of journal and abstracting and indexing subscriptions in less developed countries shows a strong relationship of 80.3% between subscriptions and size of the scientific population and number of libraries in a country. This suggests that countries have great difficulty in increasing the subscriptions to the amount needed to support the scientific needs of their small population. Networking is suggested as the solution to this problem. Two specific network models are given including both organizational and implementation plans. The first model involves areas of the world with a reasonable computing and telecommunications infrastructure. The second involves areas of the world where there are less computing facilities, a less sophisticated telecommunications structure, and less development in the area of information policy.