The promise of open access once offered a path toward equity in development research. However, as highlighted in a recent INASP policy paper titled A review of open access policy options for development research funders, the current open-access system is showing cracks.

In this guest blog, which reflects on the policy paper, the author argues that while open access was meant to democratise knowledge, today’s dominant publishing models risk reproducing existing inequalities – or even deepening them. This is because the costs of processing articles for publication have risen, and many funders have removed support for open-access publishing. The result is that many of the researchers who most need to share their work remain locked out of the very system that was intended to amplify them.

The central message of the blog? Open access is a justice issue. For development funders, it’s time to rethink how policies can better support equitable participation in research and ensure knowledge circulates fairly. 

Access, Reuse, and Costs

A key contribution of the INASP paper is this simple framework. Essentially, it is about ensuring that research outputs become available immediately and that they can be shared and adapted through clear licensing. On top of this, it highlights that publishing models should never impose financial barriers on authors – especially those in under-resourced institutions.

The author of the blog goes one step further. They remind us that policy tweaks alone won’t fix the deeper structural issues in scholarly communication. In particular, prestige-driven publishing incentives, profit-centred journal ecosystems, and the marginalisation of Global South researchers. So, if we want research to act as a global public good, we have to build publishing systems that reflect those values.

Overall, this blog offers a clear, thoughtful reflection on what’s at stake and what change could look like. It will be particularly useful for research funders, programme managers, and anyone in the research-for-development space who wants to ensure their work is accessible, ethical, and equitable.