New collaboration empowers thousands of researchers to share research methods, improve reproducibility and drive global scientific progress
Heidelberg | London, 27 November 2025
Springer Nature and Research4Life extend partnership to include access to protocols.io for scientists in over 90 low-middle-income countries.
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, Springer Nature’s digital solution for creating, managing, and sharing research methods and protocols in a transparent and reproducible way, driving best practises in open access and open science. 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 long-standing 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. This extended partnership reflects Springer Nature’s commitment to removing barriers to knowledge creation, access and supporting global research.
The value of such initiatives is clear: 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.
Speaking about the partnership, 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 democratize 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.
Emmanuel Boakye, Founder of the African Reproducibility Network (AREN), shared:
“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.”
Learn more about how Springer Nature supports global research and researchers worldwide in this blog.
Please note, eligible researchers can access information about upgrading protocols.io through the Research4Life portal. For details on access visit https://portal.research4life.org.
Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are a pioneer in open research. Through our leading brands, trusted for more than 180 years, we provide technology-enabled products, platforms and services that help researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning. We are proud to be part of progress, working together with the communities we serve to share knowledge and bring greater understanding to the world.
Felicitas Kalb-Behrendt | External Communications | Springer Nature
