SANTO DOMINGO – In a transformative move for its academic landscape, the Dominican Republic has officially inaugurated SciELO RD (SciELO República Dominicana), marking the establishment of the nation’s premier open-access scientific journal collection within the global SciELO network. This strategic initiative, unveiled through a collaborative effort between the Salomé Ureña Higher Institute for Teacher Training (ISFODOSU) and the Association of University Rectors (ADRU), is poised to dramatically enhance the international reach and accessibility of Dominican scholarly work.
The newly launched portal represents a significant infrastructural investment in the country’s research capabilities. By integrating with the prestigious SciELO platform, Dominican journals gain entry into an ecosystem renowned for its rigorous peer-review standards and commitment to open data, effectively positioning local research alongside contributions from nations with more mature scientific infrastructures.
Nurys del Carmen González, Rector of ISFODOSU, emphasized her institution’s pivotal role as the project’s technological and financial backbone, providing essential servers, specialized personnel, and sustained funding. This development aligns with broader institutional advancements, including increased investment in scientific productivity, the professionalization of academic publishing, and the strengthening of research collectives.
ADRU President Odile Camilo characterized SciELO RD as a foundational policy instrument designed for long-term national research enhancement. Citing evidence from countries with established SciELO collections, Camilo pointed to measurable gains in editorial quality, global visibility, and research culture development. She advocated for stable governance, sustainable financing, and the formal recognition of SciELO-indexed publications in faculty evaluation systems and higher education policies.
Vladimir Figueroa, ISFODOSU Research Director, detailed the portal’s operational framework during the presentation, hailing it as a watershed moment for open science and the global dissemination of knowledge originating from the Dominican Republic. This launch formally integrates the nation into a regional network dedicated to promoting editorial excellence and the unimpeded international flow of academic research.