EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries) has released an insightful report titled ‘Landscape of No-Fee Open Access Publishing in Africa.’ The report provides a comprehensive overview of Diamond Open Access (OA) journals in Africa, which are journals that do not charge fees to authors or readers. This landmark study highlights the quality and sustainability of Diamond OA publishing and identifies the underlying needs and strategies to advance this model in Africa.
The report is based on survey responses from 199 journals and 21 institutional, national, and continental platforms hosting Diamond OA journals. Additionally, it includes 25 country-specific reports detailing current funding and financial sustainability approaches, challenges, institutional in-kind support, incentives, collaborations among Diamond OA journals, and strategies to advance Diamond OA in Africa.
The landscape survey was part of the three-year project titled ‘Collaboration for Sustainable Open Access Publishing in Africa’ (November 2023 - October 2026). This initiative is implemented by EIFL in collaboration with AJOL (African Journals Online) and WACREN (the West and Central African Research and Education Network), with support from Wellcome.
The study revealed that over 60% of the responding journals rely partially or fully on volunteer work. The project aims to change this by enhancing national and regional collaboration and securing funding commitments from governments and institutions. A key strategy is embedding support for Diamond OA publishing within open science policies.
The report underscores the editorial quality of African Diamond OA journals, their peer review workflows, technical services efficiency, and visibility and discoverability. The findings will guide the development and delivery of a participatory funding approach to bolster the quality and sustainability of African Diamond OA publishing while maintaining its diversity.
Click here to read the original press release.
