Africa’s Research Revolution Stalled: Why Preprints Aren’t Catching On
Despite their promise to revolutionize open access and collaboration, preprints are struggling to gain traction in Africa’s research ecosystem. But here’s where it gets controversial: could deeply rooted career incentives, inadequate infrastructure, and weak policy support be the invisible barriers holding back this potentially game-changing practice?
At a recent webinar hosted by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the International Network for Advancing Science and Policy (Inasp), and the Academy of Science of South Africa (Assaf), experts shed light on the challenges facing preprints in Africa. The event, held on 12 November, focused on the role of funders in advancing open access publishing across the continent.
Susan Veldsman, scholarly publishing director at Assaf, delivered a stark reality check: “Researchers at this point in time are just not interested in preprints,” she stated. Despite significant investments in open research repositories and other services, adoption remains sluggish. And this is the part most people miss: it’s not just about awareness—it’s about aligning preprints with what researchers truly value and need.
Alice Chadwick El-Ali, who leads an Inasp project advocating for publishing reform, highlighted the potential of preprints to expedite the availability of research findings. However, she emphasized that this can only happen if preprints are formally recognized within research assessment frameworks. Without this, their impact will remain limited.
The Incentive Trap
Nokuthula Mchunu, an open science advocate at South Africa’s National Research Foundation, pointed to a critical issue: the long-standing focus on impact factor journals. Researchers, she explained, are often evaluated based on traditional metrics, leaving little room for innovative formats like preprints. “Until openness is rewarded, open science will be very hard to implement,” she warned.
This sentiment was echoed by Martin Ongol, executive secretary of Uganda’s National Council for Science and Technology. He noted that many universities remain fixated on conventional publishing metrics, while infrastructure gaps—such as limited connectivity and digitization—further hinder progress.
Tailoring Solutions to African Needs
Veldsman urged the open access community to rethink its approach. “We must not just promote open access for the sake of it,” she said. Instead, efforts should be tailored to address the specific needs of African researchers. For instance, what works in Europe or North America may not translate directly to Africa’s unique challenges.
The Cost Conundrum
Another contentious issue raised by panelists was the high article processing charges (APCs) levied by open access journals. These fees, they argued, perpetuate commercial publishing models and divert funds that could be better spent on improving local publishing infrastructure. Here’s a thought-provoking question: If open access is meant to democratize knowledge, why does it often come with such a hefty price tag?
The panelists agreed that enhancing connectivity, repository infrastructure, and data management support is crucial for boosting open access. However, they stressed that these improvements alone won’t suffice unless there’s a fundamental shift in how research quality is evaluated and rewarded.
As the debate over preprints continues, one thing is clear: Africa’s research landscape needs a paradigm shift. But who should lead this change—funders, institutions, or researchers themselves? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
View the original article on Research Professional: https://www.researchprofessional.com/0/rr/article/1417469
