Understanding needs and opportunities for open science in Africa and LMICs
Understanding needs and opportunities for open science in Africa and LMICs
As part of our 18-month research and design project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, we’re exploring how research publishing can better support open science for stakeholders in Africa and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
In September 2025, PLOS convened a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, in collaboration with our partner in the region, TCC Africa. Bringing together librarians, library consortia representatives, funders, institutional leaders, regional networks and associations primarily from sub-Saharan Africa and a representative from Latin America, the discussion highlighted the unique context for open science in this region, reinforcing the importance of collaboration with regional actors in developing new models.
“Context matters; countries are very different; institutions are very different. The only way an organization from the Global North can really make an impact and to be inclusive is to collaborate.”
The current system does not yet fulfil the vision of truly open science
Local voices must shape how open science evolves in their regions, including research assessment and publishing reform. Participants highlighted several key differences that impact open science today: LMIC researchers face persistent challenges, including limited funding for APCs, capacity gaps across the research and publishing lifecycle, and a lack of visibility in global indexing systems.
Support for local infrastructure is essential
Infrastructure choices will shape whether open science strengthens or marginalizes regional research. Participants noted that centralization can undermine existing initiatives or create unintended consequences for institutions and assessment systems. Support for local infrastructure – including regional data repositories, preprint servers, researcher-led initiatives, and technical standards – was seen as essential for any new open science model. Yet these systems and identifiers are not well represented in global systems, reducing their visibility.
Data ownership and sovereignty were also prominent concerns. The knowledge stack offers a means for research outputs to be distributed, locally hosted, and governed in ways that reflect national priorities, rather than being absorbed into centralized systems.
“To create anything at scale, you have to work in a local context. A local repository has to be connected to local funding. Promoting use of non-local infrastructures can create perverse incentives for research assessment.”
Local relevance must be central to research assessment
Assessment frameworks vary widely across countries and institutions, and participants emphasized that this diversity is valued. This is essential to preserve in the design of the new models, enabling recognition of outputs that support local governance and values.
“Make it modular in such a way that it is not fixed to a particular type of output. It should be possible for outputs important to researchers in different contexts to be captured, for example. an output in indigenous language, or story-telling.”
Business model development should be consultative
There is a regional desire to move towards a model that supports open science practices, not just articles. Early, structured consultation with governments, funders, and institutions is key to ensuring that any new model reflects the local realities of funding, policy, and incentive structures.
Participants stressed the importance of transparency: the region requires reduced and regionally-adjusted pricing, clear explanations of how prices are determined, and predictability to facilitate partnerships.
There also needs to be a clear demonstration of value to institutions, researchers, and national systems to ensure that any new models are inclusive, fair, and aligned with regional aspirations for open science.
True collaboration is key to co-creating solutions
Participants consistently highlighted the importance of true, sustained, regional collaboration, building on PLOS’s partnership with TCC Africa.
For LMICs, this means:
Direct collaboration with national research systems, including governments and research councils.
Integration with local infrastructure and regional research networks, as well as global systems.
Supporting capacity building, so that researchers and institutions can fully benefit from open science.
Elevating the representation of African voices in research and publishing, for example, in governance, editorial and peer review roles.
Incentives must be considered
As we heard in previous interviews and convenings, some regional research incentives with financial rewards remain tied to journal prestige. Participants encouraged targeting the right research councils and institutions with an appetite for assessment reform and working with local champions to support policy implementation.
Looking ahead
These discussions are essential to ensuring that LMIC perspectives meaningfully shape our work to redefine publishing in a way that is inclusive, equitable, and globally relevant. We are grateful to TCC Africa for their partnership and to the other participants. We remain committed to deepening engagement with regional collaborators as this project continues.
A future where science is open, inclusive, and empowering
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