Introduction The African publishing industry has always been a story of resilience. For decades, publishers across the continent have been tasked with balancing cultural preservation, local readership growth, global visibility, and financial sustainability in environments that often lack robust infrastructure. In 2025, the picture is far more complex but also more promising than ever. While … Read more
Introduction Few numbers hold as much sway in academia as the impact factor. For decades, this little metric has determined careers, influenced funding decisions, and made or broken the reputations of journals. It looks neat and simple, giving the impression of objectivity in a system that is otherwise messy and political. But beneath its polished … Read more
Introduction Open access was once celebrated as the long-awaited revolution in academic publishing. The pitch was seductive: a world where knowledge is freely available to anyone with an internet connection, where the latest discoveries in medicine, climate science, and social policy are no longer locked behind expensive paywalls. It was meant to democratize information, accelerate … Read more
Introduction Few words carry more weight in academia than “Nature,” “Science,” and “Cell.” To publish in one of these journals is to secure a ticket to recognition, promotion, and sometimes even tenure. They are the crown jewels of academic publishing, the equivalent of the Oscars in research. But beneath the prestige lies a set of … Read more
Introduction Sci-Hub has been called everything from the “Robin Hood of science” to the “greatest threat to academic publishing.” It is a website that provides free access to millions of scholarly articles that would otherwise sit behind expensive paywalls. Depending on who you ask, it is either a heroic effort to democratize knowledge or outright … Read more