Springer Nature and Research4Life extend partnership

Springer Nature has extended its partnership with Research4Life to provide researchers in more than 90 low-middle-income countries with no-cost or low-fee access to premium features on protocols.io,  the publisher’s digital solution for creating, managing, and sharing research methods and protocols.

Eligible researchers can access protocols.io through the Research4Life portal, where they can create, manage, and share research methods and protocols, making research more reproducible and transparent and accelerating global scientific progress.

Springer Nature is a partner of and contributor to Research4Life, which offers access to a wide range of research content and other services for no-cost or low-fee access.

A recent study by the World Intellectual Property Organization found that access to scientific literature through Research 4Life can increase scientific output in Research4Life eligible countries by up to 75%, highlighting the transformative potential of combining access to content with tools that support reproducibility and collaboration.

Emma Ganley, Director of Strategic Initiatives at protocols.io, part of Springer Nature, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Research4Life to expand access to reproducible research. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to democratise access to research methods and empower researchers worldwide – especially those in low-middle-income countries – with the tools they need to share, discover, and improve research protocols.”

The African Reproducibility Network (AREN), a grassroots initiative promoting open and reproducible research practices across the continent, is working with Springer Nature and protocols.io to raise awareness and drive uptake of protocols.io among African scientists, further strengthening regional collaborations.

AREN’s founder Emmanuel Boakye said: “protocols.io is a valuable platform for creating and sharing reproducible research methods, and it’s exciting to see that the premium service is now freely accessible to many scientists across Africa. AREN is pleased to partner and support their efforts by connecting them with African researchers and institutions through our community and Local Network Lead training program.”

Sarah Phibbs, Director of Research4Life Publisher Partnerships, said: “Research4Life’s collaboration with protocols.io expands our mission to enable practical tools that foster transparency, collaboration, reproducibility, and global participation. When researchers can share their methods as easily as they access others’, they have the opportunity to contribute to science on equal terms.”