[IRTalk] Preprints ‘not taking off’ in Africa (From the ASSAf Webinar on The Role of Research Funders in Advancing Open Access Publishing in Africa)

[Ina Smith]

Researchers’ career incentives, poor infrastructure and weak policy support blocking wider uptake
Preprints have yet to gain a foothold in Africa’s research landscape, despite their potential to accelerate open access and collaboration, experts warned at a 12 November webinar.
The 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), discussed the role of funders in advancing open access publishing in Africa.
Assaf’s scholarly publishing director Susan Veldsman said that efforts to promote preprints—which let researchers publish their draft articles before they go through peer review—across the continent had largely failed to win over researchers.
https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-africa-pan-african-2025-11-preprints-not-taking-off-in-africa/

YouTube video recording of webinar at https://youtu.be/0YG_YtZyE5U?si=F96SINCaklp2Hoca

Ina Smith (her/she)

SciELO SA Planning Manager | Scholarly Publishing Programme
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)

[cid:f275dc4a-9fa2-437c-a8fa-4a614979e75c]

Senior Ambassador for Africa
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

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