Open Access has scaled rapidly.
Now DOAJ is signalling that governance, trust, and accountability must scale with it.
When I read the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) 2026–2028 strategy, my first reaction wasn’t that this was just another roadmap.
It felt more like a course correction for the entire open-access ecosystem.
For years, Open Access has grown fast—sometimes faster than its governance. DOAJ’s new strategy signals a clear shift: open access is no longer just about openness. It’s about trust, accountability, equity, and structural maturity.
Here’s what this strategy really means, viewed through the lenses of the people who actually make scholarly publishing work.
What This Means for Authors
For authors, this is quietly good news.
DOAJ is positioning itself as a trust marker, not just a directory. That means authors will increasingly be able to distinguish between journals that are open and journals that are credible.
The message is clear:
authors shouldn’t have to gamble with their reputation to publish open access.
Going forward, journal choice will matter less about APCs or speed, and more about governance, transparency, and editorial integrity. That’s a healthy shift.
What This Means for Institutions & Funders
Institutions have long struggled with a basic question:
How do we evaluate open-access quality without defaulting to commercial metrics?
DOAJ’s strategy directly answers that.
By strengthening its role in policy, metadata, and global infrastructure, DOAJ is positioning itself as a neutral reference layer—especially important for institutions committed to equity, Diamond OA, and responsible research assessment.
This reduces dependence on impact factors and proprietary indexes, and that’s a big structural change.
What This Means for Editors & Editorial Boards
Editors are no longer just academic figureheads.
DOAJ’s emphasis on community governance and quality standards means editorial boards will increasingly be seen as active stewards of trust, not symbolic names on a website.
Editorial independence, ethical enforcement, and engagement are no longer implied—they must be demonstrable.
For editors, this raises responsibility, but it also restores authority where it belongs: with scholarly judgment, not publishing scale.
What This Means for Reviewers
Peer review has long been the invisible labor holding the system together.
DOAJ’s strategy recognizes that research integrity is infrastructure, not goodwill. Reviewers are part of that infrastructure.
As standards mature, reviewers will increasingly be seen as anchors of credibility, not anonymous contributors. Transparency, recognition, and accountability will matter more—and rightly so.
What This Means for New and Emerging Publishers
This is where the strategy is most misunderstood.
DOAJ is not “raising the bar to exclude.”
It’s raising the bar to protect the ecosystem.
For new publishers, the message is simple but demanding:
Don’t build journals to get indexed.
Build journals that deserve trust.
Quality systems, editorial workflows, governance, and metadata are no longer things you “add later.” They are the product.
For us at Zenith Publications, this strategy reinforces a belief we’ve held from the beginning: scale without structure is a liability.
The Bigger Picture
What DOAJ is really saying is this:
Open Access has matured.
Now its governance must mature with it.
The next phase of OA will not be led by volume or speed, but by credibility, community stewardship, and equity-driven infrastructure.
That’s a future worth building toward.
Source: Analysis and interpretation based on DOAJ’s published 2026–2028 strategy.