TL;DR: Gates Open Research is a publishing platform exclusively for Gates Foundation grantees. It eliminates editorial gatekeeping. Publications are living documents with version control. Open peer review maintains rigor while increasing transparency.
About Ashley Farley
Ashley Farley is Associate Officer of Knowledge & Research Services at the Gates Foundation. Trained as a librarian at the University of Washington Information School, she brings a unique perspective on information access and dissemination to one of the world's most influential philanthropic organizations. The Gates Foundation is the largest private foundation in the United States, with $38 billion in assets.
Gates Open Research: A New Model for Scientific Publishing
Gates Open Research is built on F1000 technology and represents a fundamentally different approach to scientific publishing. Rather than routing papers through traditional journal editorial processes, it provides a direct publishing channel for Gates Foundation grantees.
Living Documents with Version Control
One of the most innovative features of the platform is that publications are treated as living documents. Researchers can update their findings over time, with full version history preserved. This mirrors the iterative nature of science itself — results are refined, expanded, and corrected as new data emerges. See an example: Gates Open Research Article 1-16, Version 2.
No Editorial Gatekeeping
Traditional journals employ editors who decide which papers are "worthy" of publication, often based on perceived novelty or impact. Gates Open Research eliminates this gatekeeping. Grantees are trusted to publish their work directly, which has several important consequences:
- Supports the publication of "less sexy" but important research topics
- Benefits Global South researchers who may face systemic biases in traditional journals
- Removes the months-long delays associated with editorial review processes
No Novelty Requirements
Unlike traditional high-impact journals, Gates Open Research does not require that submissions be "novel." This means the platform welcomes:
- Negative results: Studies that did not produce the expected outcome — critical for preventing wasted effort by other researchers
- Reproducibility studies: Attempts to replicate previously published findings
- Protocols: Detailed method descriptions that enable others to reproduce work
Open Peer Review
Peer review on the platform is conducted post-publication and is fully transparent. Reviewers' names and assessments are published alongside the paper, and their reviews are independently citable. This approach:
- Maintains scientific rigor through expert evaluation
- Increases transparency by removing anonymous reviewing
- Gives credit to reviewers for their intellectual contribution
- Allows the community to assess both the paper and the quality of its reviews
Similar Initiatives
The Gates Foundation is not alone in pursuing open publishing platforms. The Wellcome Trust has launched a similar initiative — Wellcome Open Research — built on the same F1000 platform. These funder-led publishing platforms represent a growing trend in which research funders take direct responsibility for ensuring open dissemination of the work they support.
Ashley's Definition of Open Research
Ashley defines open research as encompassing the entire research lifecycle, not just publication:
- Open grant applications: Making funding proposals publicly accessible
- Study preregistration: Declaring hypotheses and methods before conducting research
- Open dissemination: Publishing results openly and immediately
- Open peer review: Transparent, named evaluation of research quality
The Biggest Barrier: Fear
When asked about the biggest barrier to open science adoption, Ashley's answer is clear: fear. Scientists believe that publishing in high-impact, traditional journals is the primary determinant of career advancement — tenure, grants, prestige. This belief creates a powerful inertia that resists change, even when researchers intellectually support open science principles.
The fear is real, but it is increasingly unfounded. Funders and institutions are changing their evaluation criteria, and open publications are demonstrably reaching wider audiences.
Working with Journals
The Gates Foundation works directly with traditional journals on several key issues:
- Open Access: All Gates-funded research must be published open access
- Immediate access: No embargo periods — results must be available immediately upon publication
- CC BY licensing: Creative Commons Attribution licensing ensures maximum reuse and redistribution
Further Reading
For more context on the debates around peer review and scientific publishing, see:
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