Latin America’s Quiet Revolution in Science: Leading the Way in Non-Commercial Open Access

Redacción HC
28/05/2023

In an academic world dominated by costly subscriptions and commercial publishing giants, a different story is quietly unfolding in Latin America. While much of the globe grapples with paywalls and Article Processing Charges (APCs), this region has built a robust, non-commercial infrastructure for open scientific communication—free for both readers and authors.

The 2021 article “América Latina podría convertirse en líder mundial de la ciencia abierta no comercial”, published in The Conversation by Dominique Babini and Eduardo Aguado López, outlines how Latin America is poised to lead globally in a radically different vision of open science—one driven by equity, collaboration, and public stewardship rather than profit.

The Problem: Paywalls Are Shutting the Global South Out

Much of the world’s scientific output remains locked behind paywalls controlled by major publishing corporations like Elsevier or Springer Nature. Even when research is publicly funded, access is often restricted unless institutions can afford expensive subscriptions—or authors can pay hefty APCs to make their work open access.

This model systematically excludes researchers and institutions in the Global South. Latin America, however, is offering an alternative: a public, cooperative system for scientific publishing that challenges the commercial status quo.

“Can Latin America become a global leader in equitable, non-commercial open science?” the authors ask.

A Public Infrastructure Rooted in Regional Sovereignty

Rather than relying on for-profit platforms, Latin America has built an interconnected network of publicly funded, university-managed platforms for scientific dissemination.

Among the region’s most impactful initiatives:

• SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), launched in Brazil in 1997
• Redalyc (Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America and the Caribbean), initiated in 2002
• LA Referencia, a regional repository connecting 10 Latin American countries

These platforms offer free and unrestricted access to research outputs, with no APCs and full editorial autonomy resting in academic institutions. They promote multilingual publication and elevate local journals often marginalized by global ranking systems.

Key Metrics and Outcomes

Latin America's open science ecosystem is not only visionary—it’s effective. Consider the following:

• Over 1,300 journals and 700,000 articles are indexed on Redalyc.
• More than 85% of Latin American scientific articles are published in open access, primarily through non-commercial platforms.
• LA Referencia enables cross-border sharing of research across national repositories.

This approach, often referred to as the diamond open access model, contrasts with the dominant gold model by eliminating both reader fees and author charges. It is an ethical, scalable, and replicable model aligned with UNESCO’s vision of science as a global public good.

Why It Matters: Science as a Common Good

The implications of this model go beyond academia. By rejecting the commodification of knowledge, Latin America promotes a science-for-all philosophy that strengthens public trust, enhances scientific literacy, and fosters more equitable participation in research.

Policy recommendations from the article include:

• Investing in non-commercial, interoperable regional infrastructure
• Empowering local academic publishers
• Advocating for global recognition of diverse knowledge systems and languages
• Resisting “scientific colonialism” through collective regional positioning

Latin America is not just participating in the open science movement—it is reshaping it.

A Counter-Model Gaining Momentum

As international initiatives like Plan S and the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science gain traction, Latin America’s model offers a compelling alternative: publicly supported, ethically grounded, and culturally inclusive.

The article underscores the need for the region to assert its leadership role in global open science forums—offering a roadmap for countries around the world seeking to transition away from exploitative publishing ecosystems.

"We must build a science ecosystem where knowledge is not a commodity, but a shared heritage," the authors argue.

Conclusion: A Call to Recognize and Replicate Latin America’s Model

While much of the academic world struggles to free itself from commercial publishing strangleholds, Latin America has quietly been leading a scientific revolution. Through public investment, regional cooperation, and a commitment to equity, it has created a working model of open science that is as ambitious as it is inclusive.

This is not merely an academic issue—it’s a social one. When science becomes accessible to all, society becomes more resilient, democratic, and informed.

Latin America’s model deserves not only recognition—but global emulation.

Topics of interest

Open Access Academia Technology