Theme Overview:

This special issue will explore Open Science as a transformative approach to knowledge creation, dissemination, and utilisation, emphasising its role in advancing sustainable development, e.g. in Sub-Saharan Africa. The issue will focus on practical applications of Open Science principles, with a strong theoretical foundation, addressing key themes such as open access, citizen science, research data management, and digital repositories. It will include contributions from diverse disciplines, including environmental science, social sciences, digital innovation, and policy research.

Timeliness and Relevance:

The increasing global emphasis on Open Science, exemplified by the UNESCO 2021 Recommendation on Open Science, has highlighted the need for cross-disciplinary collaboration and transparent research practices. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, Open Science is emerging as a key driver for community engagement, policy innovation, and sustainable development. This special issue will provide a platform to explore practical strategies for implementing Open Science, bridging gaps between academia, policymakers, and communities.

Target Readership:

• Academics and researchers engaged in Open Science and interdisciplinary studies
• Policymakers and government officials interested in research policy and sustainable development

• Practitioners in research institutions, universities, and knowledge management
• University presses, journal editors, librarians, and repository managers working on Open Access and digital archiving
• Organisations involved in open government data, citizen science, environmental conservation, and technology-driven education

 

Call for Papers:

The Zambia Journal of Library & Information Science (ZAJLIS) and the Bavarian Journal of Applied Sciences (BJAS) invite contributions for a special issue on Open Science, exploring its role in advancing sustainable development, digital knowledge systems, and interdisciplinary collaboration in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. This issue aims to bring together applied research that demonstrates the impact of Open Science in various fields, from environmental protection to education and technology-driven knowledge sharing.

Themes of Interest:

• Open Science and its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Open science in specific subject areas or sectors: medicine and health, conservation, forestry, higher education, etc.
• Open science and governance
• Citizen science and public participation in research
• Open Access publishing and digital knowledge repositories
• Data sharing, research transparency, and ethical considerations
• Policy frameworks for Open Science adoption in Africa and beyond
• Case studies on successful Open Science initiatives

We welcome empirical research, theoretical analyses, case studies, and reviews that provide insights into how Open Science can transform interdisciplinary collaboration and foster inclusive knowledge creation.

  Submission Guidelines:

 

  Abstracts:

Please submit your abstract (300-500 words) via the online submission platform of the Zambia Journal of Library & Information Science (ZAJLIS). The journal is accessible via https://zajlis.unza.zm/index.php/journal. Manuscripts are to be submitted following the author guidelines of the ZAJLIS.

Note: Please submit your abstract and your paper via the system under the section “Special Issue on Open Science, 2026”.

The guest editors will inform you about the acceptance of full paper submissions until July 8th, 2025.

Full Paper Submission:

Authors are invited to submit original research articles (3,000–5,000 words), case studies, or review papers aligned with the Open Science theme of the special issue. All submissions will undergo a double-blind peer review process.

Important Dates:

• Submission of abstracts: June 30^th, 2025
• Information about acceptance of full paper submission: July 11^th, 2025
• Full paper submission: October 31^st, 2025
• Peer review completion: April 2026
• Expected publication: July 2026
• For further inquiries, please contact the Guest Editors

    Guest Editors of this issue:

Dr. Christine W. Kanyengo, PhD, MBibl, BBibl (Hons), (University of Cape Town), BA LIS, University of Zambia

Affiliation: University of Zambia (UNZA)

Email: ckanyengo@unza.zm

Biography:

Dr. Christine Kanyengo is a Senior Librarian and the coordinator of the EU Erasmus+ Projects “Towards Open Science Communities’ Development in Sub-Saharan Africa Region” (OSCAR 2.0) and “Navigating the digital landscape: universities partnering for Change (NIAGARA)”. Dr Christine W. Kanyengo oversees Research Coordination in the university Library: fostering research culture, research innovation, research quality and publication, promoting awareness of university policies and strategies concerning research and publication; and coordinating the library’s research support services. Christine is a former US National Library of Medicine Associate Fellow during the years 2004-2005. She was a WHO/TDR Fellow (2007-2009) Africa User Community Coordinator based at the InformationTraining and Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA), Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa where she promoted the use of HINAGOA (AGORA, HINARI, and OARE) electronic information resources; now Research4Life Programmes among African libraries, scientific and higher education institutions. She is a former Fogarty Fellow in Medical Informatics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, McGoogan Health Sciences Library, Omaha, Nebraska (1999-2000).

 

Dr. Tuesday Bwalya (Senior Librarian/Lecturer)

Affiliation: University of Zambia (UNZA)

Email: bwalya.tuesday@unza.zm

Biography:

Dr. Tuesday Bwalya is a Senior Librarian/Lecturer and Head of Cataloguing and Classification Department at the University of Zambia Library. He is the Acting Managing Editor of the Zambia Journal of Library & Information Science. He holds a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science from UNZA and a Master’s degree in Information Science from Northeast Normal University in China. Dr. Bwalya has received training in India and Belgium in Library Automation with Free and Open Source Library Management Systems such as Koha and ABCD. His research interests include Free and Open Source Software, Open Access Publishing, Database systems, Web Development, E-records management, Cataloguing and Classification.

 

Dr. Javier Valdes

Affiliation: Deggendorf Institute of Technology

Email: javier.valdes@th-deg.de

Biography:

Dr. Javier Valdes is Professor for Big Geo Data and Spatio-Temporal Analysis with a focus on Energy Transition and Energy Modeling for Sustainable Development at the DIT. His research focus covers the development of participatory and co-design methodologies in the creation of open-source software and data for the modelling and optimization of energy systems. His previous work includes the generation of open datasets, open-source software, anonymisation of open data, and the creation of synthetic datasets. He is the current Open Access and Open Resource Commissioner at the DIT.

 

Markus Putnings

Affiliation: Deggendorf Institute of Technology

Email: markus.putnings@th-deg.de

Biography:

Markus Putnings is the Head of Libraries at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology (DIT), Bavaria, Germany. He holds a degree in Business Informatics from the University of Regensburg and worked at the University Library of the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) as head of the Open Access Department and FAU University Press, deputy head of the Media Processing, Open Access, Specialized Information Services Department, Research Data Management Department as well as FAU's Science and Technology Branch Library. In 2024, he moved to Deggendorf and took over the management of all DIT libraries. He is a member of the Commission for Open Science of the Bavarian Library Network, the Management Group of Bavarian University of Applied Sciences Libraries and the EU-project OSCAR 2.0.

 

Dr. Joseph Mwelwa PhD (English Language Studies (University of South Africa), MEd. (TTELT) (Exeter)

Affiliation: Joint Minds Consult (JMC), Botswana

Email: jmwelwa@jointmindsconsult.com

Biography:

Dr. Joseph Mwelwa is founder and Principal researcher at JMC, a research, education and training institute. He is among the leading experts in Open Science in Africa having contributed important reports on open science for research and innovation for Science Granting Councils in Africa. He has played a pivotal role in advancing the Open Science agenda across the continent, including initiating national dialogues on Open Science in Botswana. Dr. Mwelwa previously served on the Technical Advisory Board of the African Open Science Forum, the forerunner to the African Open Science Platform (AOSP). He has contributed to key open science plenary discussions in Ghana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa, and China. He was instrumental in the development of the African Consortium for the OSCAR 2.0 project, which aims to assess the adoption of Open Science in African higher education institutions. He advocates for the use of African indigenous languages to attain inclusivity and access for African citizens in open science. Dr. Mwelwa specializes in stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and sustainable development strategies, driving impactful initiatives across the region.