British Library Pressroom, 10 June 2010
World Wide Science Alliance broadens access to global research with the launch of a new multilingual tool, enabling scientists to simultaneously search and translate over 400 million pages of scientific research published in 65 countries from around the world.
Although most scientific literature continues to be published in English, the pace of non-English scientific publishing is increasing rapidly, with vast quantities of high-quality science now being produced every year. Launched today at the International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI) annual conference in Helsinki, Finland, a new beta version of WorldWideScience.org will enable scientists to break down the language barrier, facilitating greater global cooperation with regards to the pursuit of scientific research.
From today, for the first time ever WorldWideScience.org will be able to offer researchers real-time searching and translation of articles written in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and English simultaneously. Combining Microsoft Research’s cutting edge translation technologies with the online search capabilities of Deep Web Technologies Inc, the multilingual translation function will enable users to search a number of non-English databases and allow non-English speaking researchers to translate existing collections into their native tongue. Initially covering nine of the most common languages, additions will be made as the project develops.
Set up in 2007 to create a single portal from which to conduct
federated searching of multiple open access scientific databases, the
World Wide Science Alliance initially brought together 12 databases
from 10 countries but has since grown to cover the research output of
65 countries world wide. Bringing together the best in private sector
information technology with leading public sector science and
technology institutions, including national libraries such as the
British Library, this next phase of the WorldWideScience.org project
will help to make this a truly global resource and reduce the
widespread unnecessary duplication of research.
Microsoft Research Corporate Vice-President Tony Hey said, “We are extremely pleased to have our
Microsoft Translator technology used with WorldWideScience. Built at
Microsoft Research, this translation technology already provides
translations to millions of users. Partnering with WorldWideScience is
an opportunity to advance science across language barriers and improve
scientific discovery.”
Dr. Walter Warnick, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), which serves as operating agent for WorldWideScience.org, emphasized both the “open government” aspects and the potential for accelerating scientific discovery with the addition of multilingual translations across nationally-sponsored R&D results and other science.
WorldWideScience Alliance Chairman, Richard Boulderstone, from the British Library, noted:
“Since
its launch in 2007 WorldWideScience.org has grown at an absolutely
phenomenal rate, providing researchers with easy access to the publicly
funded research output of 65 different countries from around the world.
Fast becoming a key resource for researchers around the world, these
new search and translation tools are absolutely essential to opening up
research and enabling the global scientific community to share
knowledge in the pursuit of progress.”
For any media enquires or interview requests please contact
Jacob Lant in the British Library Press Office on +44 (0)20 7412 7105
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Notes to Editors
About WorldWideScience
WorldWideScience.org was
formally launched in 2007 with federated searching of 12 databases in
10 countries. Through early 2010, it had grown to search national
scientific databases in 65 countries, covering some 400 million pages
of science. In addition to other WorldWideScience Alliance members, key
partner organizations taking part in the ceremony included the Russian
Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology
(Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China), and ICSTI.
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk.