The current research publishing system is failing both science and society. Enormous sums are spent on Article Processing Charges (APCs); inequalities in who can publish remain deeply entrenched; and access restrictions combined with publication delays limit who can benefit from new evidence.
Preprints — research articles shared before peer review — offer a practical path forward. They enable the earliest possible access to findings and remove cost barriers, providing a genuinely equitable alternative to pay-to-publish models. Yet while most STI policymakers and research funders are committed to Open Access, few have recognised preprint sharing as a key solution to the publishing system's ongoing failures. This policy paper sets out six levers to help drive that change.
Publication Date: 2026-06-05