The pandemic has triggered an unprecedented mobilisation of the scientific community - OECD

"Around 75 000 scientific publications on COVID-19 were published between January and November 2020, of which more than three-quarters were open access, compared to less than one-half in other biomedical fields (see figure). The United States accounts for the largest share, followed by China and the United Kingdom (Figure 3). Research databases and scientific publishers removed paywalls so that the scientific community could quickly share COVID-19-related data and publications. Pre-prints (academic papers that have yet to be peer reviewed or published) have become more common in the medical research field, allowing for the faster diffusion of scientific findings, but also raising risks around quality assurance. These developments mark important changes that could accelerate the transition to a more open science in the longer run."