Emerging Issues in Open Access Initiatives in Africa

Access to scholarly publications in the 21st century has been greatly enhanced with the emergence of open access initiatives the world over. This new trend has contributed immensely to the development of a global scholarly communication system. This chapter investigates various facets of the Open Access (OA) movement and its growth in Africa. It highlights different roles played by organizations, libraries, publishers, and researchers in the development of OA. Furthermore, the chapter discusses the benefits and challenges of OA to various stakeholders. It concludes with recommendations on how to improve open access in Africa.