openRxiv has officially emerged as an independent nonprofit organization, taking charge of the well-regarded preprint servers bioRxiv and medRxiv. These platforms stand at the forefront of scientific communication for life and health sciences, providing researchers with a crucial space to disseminate their findings rapidly and openly. The establishment of openRxiv signals a significant commitment to maintaining and enhancing the preprint sharing process, emphasizing the importance of a governance model led by researchers themselves. This paradigm shift empowers scientists everywhere to communicate their discoveries with unprecedented speed and efficiency, reinforcing the ever-evolving landscape of scientific inquiry.
Dr. John Inglis, who serves as the Chair of the openRxiv Scientific and Medical Advisory Board and is one of the co-founders of bioRxiv and medRxiv, articulated the vision behind this initiative. He envisions openRxiv as a welcoming platform for all scientists, regardless of their career stage or institutional affiliations. This inclusive approach underscores a broader goal of fostering collaboration and innovation across diverse scientific disciplines, ensuring that barriers to communication are minimized. By securing the independence of preprint sharing and establishing a researcher-led framework, openRxiv aims to bolster the scientific community’s capacity to share and build upon each other’s work with agility.
The significance of preprint servers like bioRxiv and medRxiv cannot be overstated, particularly since their inception in 2013 and 2019, respectively. These platforms have radically transformed the communication of scientific findings, hosting an astounding 325,000 reports to date. The rapid sharing of research through preprints allows scientists from various fields to collaborate and iterate on each other’s work, thereby accelerating the pace of discovery. This is especially vital during global health challenges, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the need for urgent scientific dissemination emerged as a critical factor in informing public health strategies.
openRxiv’s formation is underpinned by the foundational support from prominent institutions such as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the BMJ Group, and Yale School of Medicine. Each of these partners has played an instrumental role in the development and ongoing success of bioRxiv and medRxiv. Their collective expertise and commitment to open science have been pivotal in creating an environment conducive to rapid communication of scientific findings, allowing researchers to share insights that may otherwise be delayed or restricted.
One of the primary objectives of establishing openRxiv is to enhance the sustainability and adaptability of the preprint servers it now governs. As bioRxiv and medRxiv transition to this new nonprofit model, they will benefit from a governance structure that is responsive to the evolving needs of researchers. This change ensures that the preprint sharing remains not just independent but also aligns closely with the expectations and demands of the scientific community it serves. By focusing on long-term sustainability, openRxiv aims to create an environment devoid of the competing interests that often characterize commercial management models.
In a rapidly changing scientific landscape, flexibility and responsiveness to community needs are equally central to openRxiv’s vision. As an independent entity, openRxiv is uniquely positioned to refine its processes continually, adapting to new scientific paradigms and technological advancements. The guiding philosophy here is that preprint servers should not only remain relevant but also be universally accessible to researchers across the globe. This focus on accessibility underscores the belief that scientific knowledge should flow freely and without barriers, facilitating a more interconnected academic landscape.
The governance of openRxiv will be inclusive, characterized by transparency and broad community oversight. A dedicated governance group, composed of diverse stakeholders such as researchers, funders, and technical experts, will oversee organizational decision-making. This collaborative approach is designed to ensure that the priorities of the scientific community as a whole are reflected in its operations and strategies. By decentralizing power and emphasizing community involvement, openRxiv aims to cultivate trust and reliability in preprint sharing, ultimately benefiting both the scientific community and the public.
In terms of funding, openRxiv is strategically diversifying its sources to ensure the long-term stability of the organization. By establishing partnerships with a range of funders, research institutions, and other stakeholders, openRxiv is taking proactive steps to safeguard its independence. The commitment to transparency regarding funding, alongside the importance of financial sustainability, emphasizes the underlying goal of cultivating an ethos of open science. This approach aims to reassure both researchers and the public that openRxiv remains true to its mission of supporting unrestricted access to scientific knowledge.
The inaugural support for openRxiv comes primarily from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), which has long endorsed the values of open science. By providing essential early support for this new venture, CZI affirms its dedication to ensuring that researchers have the infrastructure necessary for free and open dissemination of scientific discoveries. Stephen Quake, the Head of Science at CZI, highlighted the essential role of open science in advancing knowledge in health and disease, underscoring the broader significance of the openRxiv initiative as a means of empowering global scientific collaboration.
As part of this transformative shift, bioRxiv and medRxiv are set to enter an exciting new chapter under the openRxiv banner. By wholeheartedly embracing an independent nonprofit model, both preprint servers will continue to prioritize rapid, community-centered research sharing. This evolution is guided by a diverse board of scientists and stakeholders who will help maintain a focus on transparent governance and a truly global vision. By providing a platform that encourages researchers to disseminate their findings earlier, openRxiv aspires to be a catalyst for breakthroughs in life science and health research that benefits society as a whole.
Dr. Richard Sever, the Chief Science and Strategy Officer at openRxiv and co-founder of bioRxiv and medRxiv, emphasized the indispensable role that preprints play in accelerating discovery, particularly during critical public health contexts. By securing the future of both bioRxiv and medRxiv as trusted, researcher-led avenues for sharing scientific knowledge, openRxiv is poised to thrive as an essential component of the scientific communication landscape. This transition represents not just a continuation of past successes but also a commitment to innovative practices that will define the future of research dissemination.
In summary, the launch of openRxiv marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of preprint sharing in the life sciences and health sectors. By establishing an independent nonprofit dedicated to bioRxiv and medRxiv, openRxiv ensures that these platforms remain firmly aligned with the needs of the research community. The emphasis on independence, sustainability, and researcher-led governance sets the stage for a dynamic future in which scientific findings are shared freely and rapidly, advancing the collective mission of the global scientific community to improve human knowledge and well-being.
Subject of Research: Open Science and Preprint Platforms
Article Title: openRxiv: Pioneering a New Era in Open Scientific Communication
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Keywords: open science, preprints, bioRxiv, medRxiv, scientific communication, health research, nonprofit, governance, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
