How open access is transforming academic publishing and creating more equitable research ecosystems worldwide
Growth in OA articles since 2015
Of research now published OA
Cost savings for institutions
More citations for OA articles
Imagine being a researcher in an African university, striving to combat malaria or address food security, only to encounter a paywall when trying to access the latest relevant study 1 . Or consider conducting groundbreaking research only to realize that publishing it would cost more than your annual research budget.
This isn't a hypothetical scenario—it's the daily reality for thousands of researchers across the Global South 1 . For decades, academic knowledge has been locked behind increasingly expensive subscription barriers, limiting its reach and potential impact.
But a revolution is underway, transforming how scientific discoveries are shared and built upon. This movement, known as open access (OA), is reshaping the scholarly landscape, promising to make knowledge freely available to anyone with an internet connection. As we navigate through 2025, a pivotal year with major OA mandates taking effect, open access stands poised to redefine the very future of academic publishing 5 .
Open access refers to the free, immediate, online availability of research outputs combined with the rights to use these outputs fully in the digital environment 6 .
Articles freely available on publisher's website, often with APCs
APC ModelSelf-archiving in repositories after embargo period
RepositoryFree to authors and readers, supported by institutions
No FeesSubscription journals offering OA option for APCs
Dual Model| Model | Cost Structure | Access Timing | Typical Funding Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold OA | APC paid by authors | Immediate | Research grants, institutional funds |
| Green OA | Often no fee | Post-embargo period | Institutional repositories |
| Diamond OA | Free to authors and readers | Immediate | Institutions, consortia, grants |
| Hybrid OA | APC per OA article | Immediate | Research grants, authors |
First formal definition of open access and call for free availability of scholarly literature
UK government committee recommends expanding open access publishing
Coalition of research funders requires immediate open access to funded research
UNESCO adopts recommendation on Open Science, including open access
Key deadlines for open access requirements from major funders take effect
In the traditional subscription model, knowledge flows upward and outward, often leaving researchers who need access the most unable to obtain it. Many African institutions lack robust internet connectivity, research databases, or comprehensive library subscriptions 1 .
Article Processing Charges, which can exceed $3,000 per article, place publication out of reach for many researchers in the Global South 1 .
"I've seen colleagues give up on publishing in top journals because the fees are more than their yearly research budget. That's a tragedy for global science." - Dr. Alphonsus Neba, African Population and Health Research Center 1
A central issue is how the current system reinforces global power imbalances. A small group of commercial publishers based primarily in Europe and North America dominates the academic publishing landscape, creating what some describe as a form of scientific colonialism 1 .
"A handful of companies in the North decide which research gets the spotlight. That's a huge problem when the challenges we face are global." - Dr. Evelyn Gitau, SFA Foundation 1
Across Africa, researchers and institutions are actively developing local solutions to improve access to knowledge through Diamond Open Access—a model where journals do not charge fees to authors or readers 1 .
Platform making African research more visible and accessible
Allows authors to publish quickly with open peer reviews
Supports open data sharing, research training, and digital infrastructure
"It's about creating an environment where an African scientist can easily collaborate with a colleague in another country and openly share their findings with a farmer or teacher who can use that knowledge." - Dr. Nokuthula Mchunu, African Open Science Platform 1
Supply chains for biological tools in Latin America are expensive and prone to delays, sometimes taking weeks to months 8 . Researchers pay significantly more than their U.S. counterparts and are often restricted from local sharing by sales contracts and institutional agreements 8 .
The Reclone Network established a community of Latin American researchers who develop and use open biological materials and reagents 8 .
| Initiative | Reach | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Open Enzyme Collection | 500 researchers in ~50 countries | Democratizes access to essential research tools |
| Research in Diagnostics DNA Toolkit | Multiple Latin American countries | Enables local production of molecular biology enzymes |
| Argentina Reclone Hub | 20 researchers from 6 countries | Builds regional capacity for reagent production |
| Protein Production Center | University of Buenos Aires | Distributes affordable enzymes to local researchers |
This case study demonstrates that open science principles, when applied to research materials rather than just publications, can directly accelerate biomedical research through enhancing timely and affordable access to essential research tools 8 .
Engaging with open access and open science requires familiarity with a new set of tools and resources 3 7 8 .
| Tool/Resource | Function | Examples/Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Preprint Servers | Enables rapid sharing of unpublished manuscripts before peer review | bioRxiv, MedRxiv |
| Open Data Repositories | Stores and shares research data for verification and reuse | Zenodo, Dryad |
| Open Biological Reagents | Provides affordable, openly shared research materials | Reclone Network, Addgene |
| Open Peer Review Platforms | Makes reviewer reports publicly available | BMC journals, F1000Research |
| Institutional Repositories | Archives and provides access to institutional research output | University digital repositories |
| Diamond OA Journals | Publishes research without charges to authors or readers | African Journals Online |
As we approach key deadlines for OA mandates in 2025, the scholarly publishing community faces several interconnected challenges alongside emerging solutions 5 .
By 2023, such agreements in the UK had saved the higher education sector £42 million in subscription costs 5 .
Publishers are experimenting with alternative approaches to address global inequities in publishing.
The shift to OA has highlighted structural challenges within the publishing ecosystem.
All research funded by coalition members must be immediately open access
All US federally funded research must be freely available without embargo
UNESCO begins monitoring implementation of Open Science recommendations
The journey toward open access represents more than just a shift in publishing models—it's a fundamental reimagining of how knowledge should be created, shared, and built upon in a connected world.
"We must decolonize the metrics of science. Global challenges demand diverse solutions, and we can't keep sidelining a big part of the world's brains." - Dr. Evelyn Gitau, UN STI Forum 1
Growth in OA articles since 2015
Of Cambridge research now published OA 5
Of Oxford research now published OA 9
The ultimate promise of open access extends beyond simply removing paywalls. It envisions a global knowledge commons where a researcher in Kenya can access the latest genetics study, where a physician in Brazil can implement findings from clinical trials published halfway around the world, and where a teacher in rural India can incorporate cutting-edge research into their curriculum.
"It's an exciting time for open access publishing. Across the research environment, there is constant innovation, disruption, and evolution—changed ideas, transformed business models, radical policies." - Rhodri Jackson, Oxford University Press 9