The University of Sydney signs the Hague Declaration on Knowledge Discovery in the Digital Age

Posted on by Library Communications

 

20/10/2015

Last week, the University of Sydney signed the Hague Declaration, which aims to foster agreement about how to enable access to facts, data and ideas for knowledge discovery in the Digital Age.

By Kate Stanton

Image: Kate Stanton
Vice Chancellor Michael Spence signs the Hague Declaration on behalf of the University of Sydney, with University Librarian Anne Bell and Library Director (Access Services) Lisa McIntosh.

The document sets forth the idea that the free flow of information and ideas is an essential human right and aims to remove legal and policy barriers to access to ideas, data and facts.

“The rapidly changing digital environment, increased computing power and the sheer quantity of data being produced makes it essential for researchers and society to be able to use modern techniques and tools to help them make new discoveries. Research practices could be revolutionised and lives could literally be saved, if we can achieve better access to the knowledge contained within Big Data.” said Kristiina Hormia-Poutanen, President of LIBER Europe, (www.libereurope.eu), the Association of European Research Libraries, which has led the development of the Hague Declaration.

Organisations and individuals who wish to support the Hague Declaration can add their signature at:

http://thehaguedeclaration.com/the-hague-declaration-on-knowledge-discovery-in-the-digital-age/

http://thehaguedeclaration.com/

 

Why is the Hague Declaration so important to research?