Trends and Growth of Open Access Research in Sri Lanka: a Decade of Scholarly Contributions

Abstract

Open Access (OA) publishing has gained significant global momentum over the past decade, promoting wider dissemination of knowledge and greater visibility for scholarly outputs. Understanding the growth and characteristics of OA publishing in developing countries like Sri Lanka can offer valuable insights into the research visibility and alignment with global open science movements of the country. The present study examines the trends in OA publishing among Sri Lankan researchers from 2015 to 2024, utilizing data from Scopus. The analysis focused on contributions, institutional involvement, collaborative networks, and funding sources. The findings revealed a gradual increase in the total research output in Sri Lanka, from 1523 publications in 2015 to 4592 in 2024. However, OA publications had significantly increased, from 686 in 2015 to 1,771 in 2024, and this growth underscored a growing commitment to OA publishing. University of Colombo (21.02%) and University of Peradeniya (17.74%) emerged as the leading contributors to OA research. The United Kingdom (22.48%), the United States (20.76%), and Australia (18.57%) were the top international collaborators. The UK Research and Innovation (8.65%) and the European Commission (7.59%) were the primary funding agencies supporting OA research. In conclusion, the study highlights the evolving academic publishing landscape and increasing commitment to OA practices in Sri Lanka. These developments place the country on a promising path toward enhanced research visibility, increased global collaboration, and stronger advocacy for open scholarly communication.