(PDF) Why Diamond Open Access in the Global South?

"In a recent interview, a PhD candidate who published with Dhaxalreeb reflected on how this development has reshaped doctoral publishing options. He described the earlier situation as “a prison with no exit”: universities required publication in international journals, at least of two articles, but offered no guidance, while supervisors discouraged submissions to potentially predatory outlets or to journals requiring Article Processing Charges (APC), which they viewed as ethically problematic. He added that supervisors themselves had articles ready for publication but lacked access to appropriate and trustworthy platforms. He noted that the materialisation of Diamond Open Access (Diamond OA) platforms, including Dhaxalreeb, has significantly improved this environment by providing credible, ethical, and fee-free publication options that ensure both scholarly integrity and broad dissemination. Dhaxalreeb has recently been recognized by Ethiopian universities as an internationally indexed and accepted journal, and on the one hand, this journal and other Diamond OA platforms have provided a practical solution to a challenge faced by PhD students in the region."