Over the past decade, Open Research (or Open Science) has become a widely recognised aspiration across the global science system. Major frameworks, from the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science to regional African policy strategies, have articulated a shared vision: research should be more transparent, collaborative, and accessible to better serve society and address global challenges.
But translating this vision into practice has proven more difficult. Across many countries and institutions, Open Research enjoys broad rhetorical support. Yet reforms often advance slowly, and the gap between policy commitments and research practices remains significant.
New work by INASP examines the political levers and opportunities for advancing Open Research reform across African research systems. Combining political economy analysis with interviews across the research ecosystem, the study explores 1) how Open Research is understood; 2) who holds influence over reform; 3) and where meaningful change is most likely to occur. The findings offer both a diagnosis of current challenges and a roadmap for where stakeholders can act. The report suggests that the key question is no longer why Open Research matters, but how to translate broad commitments into institutional practice.
Five dynamics shaping Open Research reform
Five dynamics help explain both the opportunities and constraints of reform. Together, they suggest that advancing Open Research is not only a technical challenge, but a governance and political economy challenge.
- Convergence around “governed openness”
Open Research is understood as a systemic reform of the entire research lifecycle, extending beyond open access to include data, methods, infrastructure, and collaboration. However, interpretations vary. While global narratives emphasise transparency and efficiency, in African policy debates, openness is frequently linked to sovereignty, equity, strengthening state capability and domestic research systems, and equitable participation in global science. Moreover, there is increasing convergence around the idea of “governed openness”: openness must coexist with safeguards around privacy, intellectual property, and national priorities.
- A layered ecosystem of power and influence
Open Research reform takes place within a complex ecosystem where influence is unevenly distributed. Multilateral organisations shape global norms; research funders influence behaviour through grant conditions and investments in research infrastructure. But ultimately, national governments hold the strongest formal authority through legislation and public funding systems. Science Granting Councils, regional research infrastructure networks, and intermediary organisations act as bridges between global agendas and national implementation. At the same time, commercial publishers and major technology platforms retain significant structural influence through their control of research infrastructures and knowledge markets.
- Institutional windows for system change
Reforms often gain traction when Open Research is embedded within existing policy and governance processes. International reporting cycles, national science, technology and digital strategies, and multilateral science diplomacy platforms create opportunities for governments and institutions to introduce new policies or commitments. At the operational level, changes to funding conditions, research assessment frameworks, and grant reporting requirements will have significant impact. These mechanisms shape the incentives that guide researcher behaviour and therefore represent some of the most practical entry points for advancing reform.
- Structural barriers to prioritisation
Despite broad rhetorical support, Open Research rarely receives sustained high-level political attention. Fragmented policy environments, financing constraints, regulatory uncertainty, and entrenched academic incentive systems all slow progress. Research systems continue to reward publication in prestigious journals over open practices. At the same time, global market concentration in publishing and research analytics limits the ability of national systems to reshape the infrastructure and business models that underpin knowledge production and dissemination.
- The importance of framing in policy debates
How Open Research is framed plays a critical role in determining its political traction. Moral arguments about openness and equity are widely recognised, but policy momentum often increases when reform is presented as an enabler of existing political priorities, for example, economic competitiveness, innovation, research integrity, or public accountability. In African contexts, narratives around sovereignty, development, and equitable participation in global knowledge production also play an important role in shaping political support.
Where stakeholders can start: navigating the politics of reform
System-wide reform is ambitious, but Open Research is unlikely to advance through technical consensus alone. Progress depends on aligning reform with institutional mandates, incentive structures, and political priorities. Rather than attempting system-wide transformation in one step, stakeholders can focus on strategic entry points where influence is concentrated, building momentum over time. Reform rarely unfolds linearly, and many of these shifts will occur simultaneously or reinforce one another in practice.
- Build political traction
Early progress often depends on positioning Open Research within politically salient agendas. Framing reform in relation to priorities such as digital transformation, economic competitiveness, innovation policy, or research sovereignty can help mobilise support among policymakers.
Engaging ministries of science and innovation, finance ministries, parliamentary committees, and Science Granting Councils is critical. Anchoring reform discussions within existing policy frameworks—such as UNESCO reporting cycles, African Union frameworks including Agenda 2063 and Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2034), or national and regional STI strategies—can help connect Open Research to established political commitments.
- Align incentives and institutional rules
Focus on institutional levers that shape research behaviour.
Funding conditions, grant reporting requirements, and research assessment systems represent particularly powerful tools because they influence how researchers and institutions operate. Science Granting Councils and other research funders are often well positioned to introduce these changes, translating policy commitments into practical incentives across the research lifecycle.
These reforms help move Open Research from voluntary practice toward institutional expectation.
- Strengthen infrastructure and system capacity
Sustained reform ultimately requires the institutional capacity and infrastructure to support Open Research practices.
This includes strengthening repositories, interoperability standards, and data governance frameworks, and supporting specialised roles such as data stewards and research infrastructure managers. Regional cooperation can also play a strategic role. Shared infrastructure platforms and coordinated standards can reduce costs, create economies of scale, and increase the negotiating power of African research systems in global knowledge markets.
Moving from endorsement to institutional change
Open Research has achieved significant normative progress over the past decade. There is a global framework to guide action – the UNESCO Open Science recommendation and STISA-2034 STISA 2034 explicitly calls for investing in open science as part of Africa’s STI and development agenda .
The next phase is less about building awareness and more about working through the institutional politics that shape how research systems operate.
For research funders, governments, and ecosystem actors, this means focusing on where authority, incentives, and infrastructure intersect: adjusting funding and assessment rules, strengthening institutional capacity, and aligning reform with broader policy priorities.
In practice, systemic change is unlikely to come from a single intervention. It is more likely to emerge through incremental but strategically positioned reforms that gradually reshape the incentives and institutions governing research.
For a deeper dive into the findings and recommendations, read the full report here.
About the author: Leandro Echt is a political scientist and evaluation specialist with over 19 years of experience working at the intersection of evidence use, international development, and public policy. He has supported governments, donors, philanthropic organisations, civil society organisations, think tanks, universities, and global networks to strengthen evidence-informed decision-making across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America. His expertise includes evaluation, research, facilitation, and capacity strengthening, with a particular focus on equity. Leandro is an Associate with the International Network for Advancing Science and Policy (INASP) and collaborates with a range of international organisations and networks. He is also a Professor of Health Policy and Politics at the University of Maryland and previously taught Political Science at the University of Buenos Aires.
Acknowledgements: The author(s) is solely responsible for the content of this article, including all errors or omissions; acknowledgements do not imply endorsement of the content. The author is grateful to Charity Chisoro for her guidance in finalising this article, as well as her editorial support.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in published blog posts, as well as any errors or omissions, are the sole responsibility of the author/s and do not represent the views of the Africa Evidence Network, its secretariat, advisory or reference groups, or its funders; nor does it imply endorsement by the afore-mentioned parties.
Suggested citation: Echt L (2026) Advancing Open Research in Africa: the Political Economy of Reform. Blog posting on 19 June 2026. Available at: https://africaevidencenetwork.org/advancing-open-research-in-africa-the-political-economy-of-reform/2026/06/19/
