Plavčan: The ministry will pay for scientific databases

After Slovak scientists lost access to about one third of global scientific articles, the minister of education promises rectification.

Peter PlavčanPeter Plavčan (Source: TASR)

The fact that Slovak scientists do not have access to important databases of scientific literature is neither negligence nor underestimating the ministry’s duties, Education Minister Peter Plavčan (a Slovak national party-SNS nominee) told as cited by the Sme daily.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

The Centre of Scientific and Technical Information that falls under the jurisdiction of Plavčan’s ministry failed to settle its debt to the publishing house Elsevier for last year and Slovak scientists have thus lost access to some one-third of global scientific articles.

SkryťTurn off ads

Plavčan promised on January 11 that he will solve the problem in the next few days. Access will be paid for from the ministry’s budget, Sme wrote on January 12, which costs some €3.5 million annually.

Access to scientific databases has been made available long term via EU structural funds to the tune of several million euros annually. In 2016, new national projects within Operational Programme Research and Innovation had not been addressed yet, as talks between Slovakia and the European Commission still revolved around administrative issues.

Chairman of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) Pavol Šajgalík stressed earlier in the day that scientific databases are of vital importance to researchers. SAV is optimistic about the future, however, voicing its hope that the interruption will only be short and without any significant impact on projects.

SkryťTurn off ads
Prečítajte si tiež: Scientists lose access to international database Read more 

Opposition criticises cabinet

Scientists complained about the inaccessibility of databases on January 11. On the same day, not just the minister but also opposition politicians reacted. The OĽaNO-NOVA opposition party has called on Prime Minister Robert Fico to dismiss Plavčan over the inability to use scientific databases such as Science Direct, Scopus, Reaxys and Knovel as of the beginning of 2017. Without access to the databases, Slovak researchers cannot carry out their tasks effectively, OĽaNO-NOVA leader Igor Matovič said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) MP Branislav Gröhling also opined, as quoted by the SITA newswire, that the Centre had known about the problem with databases in advance. He added that Plavčan should carry out consequences and make the officials authorised to solve it responsible. SaS claims that Slovak science has never been, and still is not, a high priority for the Smer-led governments.

Top stories

A supporter of Russia during one of the so-called "True march for peace" events.

News digest: Some bad news stories from Slovakia

Hints of Russia winning information war in Slovakia, interview with new Foreign Affairs Minister, and an event for book lovers.


8 h
Jupiter (centre) and its Galilean moons: from left Ganymede, Io, Europa and Callisto. Juice with deployed antennas and arrays is in the bottom right.

From Košice to Ganymede: Slovak engineers are leaving their mark in space

Slovaks are active participants in two ongoing space missions.


20. may
Miroslav Wlachovský.

MFA Wlachovský: Slovaks would be surprised by what Russians say about us

The new head of Slovak diplomacy, Wlachovský, explains what he wants to accomplish.


13 h
Marian Kočner arrives in court in Pezinok, western Slovakia, on May 19, 2023.

Slovak court's verdict in Kuciak case leaves 'bitter taste'

Zsuzsová was found guilty of masterminding the murder of the journalist, but the judges could not find any direct evidence linking Marian Kočner, a subject of Kuciak's stories, to the murder.


17 h
SkryťClose ad