A new study by WACREN and partners highlights both the promise and the precarity of Diamond Open Access (OA) publishing in Africa. These journals, which make research freely available to both authors and readers, are vital for increasing the visibility of African scholarship. Yet the majority struggle with financial instability, heavy dependence on volunteer labour, and limited resources. While some publishers remain optimistic about their funding prospects, most operate without annual budgets, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable support to strengthen Africa’s open access publishing landscape.
For the publishers of free-of-charge science journals in Africa, the cup can be viewed as either half full or half empty, depending on temperament. Almost equal numbers see their funding sources as stable (40.1%) and unstable (39.2%). This is according to a study conducted by WACREN (the West and Central African Research and Education Network) and partners.
Another key finding is that about 60% of the respondents rely on volunteer work fully or partially.
The study provides an overview of open access (OA) journals in Africa that do not charge fees for either authors or readers, often referred to as Diamond OA journals. The survey was conducted as part of a three-year project implemented by WACREN, EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries), and AJOL (African Journals Online) with support from Wellcome.
Most journals without annual budgets
Several previous studies have shown that both article processing fees charged to authors and access fees charged to readers can be major barriers to the visibility of research in Africa. Therefore, WACREN and partners have engaged in initiatives to promote Diamond OA.
The landscape study is based on responses from 199 journals, 21 institutional, national and continental platforms that host Diamond OA journals, and 25 country reports.
Financial constraints are by far the most pressing challenge that affects three-quarters (74.9%) of the respondents. While 40.1% of respondents see their funding sources as stable or very stable, 39.2% see them as unstable or very unstable. Most journals (71.4%) do not have an annual approved budget.
Submission rates remain low
Besides financial challenges, nearly half of respondents (45.2%) are struggling with the lack of human resources. Infrastructure-related and administrative challenges affect more than 30% of the respondents.
Nearly half (49.2%) of respondents rely solely on in-house infrastructure. For more than half (56.3%), the publishing infrastructure supports all publishing workflows online – e.g. a journal’s online platform is used to submit manuscripts, review them, and make them openly available after approval.
Additional challenges to the Diamond OA publishers include, according to the report: “recruiting reviewers and the slow pace of their work, low submission rates, registration in journal databases, marketing, geographic diversity of authors, but also the fact that African journals are expected to adopt ethical principles and guidelines coming from the West, though these are not necessarily relevant in the African context.”
The text is inspired by the article “Survey findings on Diamond OA Journals underscore the need for sustainability pathways” at the WACREN website.
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