2024 was transformative for the Review and Curate Network, as we championed open science, preprint sharing, and collaborative peer review in Rwanda and across Africa. This year, we launched impactful programs and saw significant milestones that reflected our mission to foster transparency and inclusivity in research.
Key Highlights From 2024
Launch of the Rwanda Preprint Club
The club was officially founded on April 2, 2024, at the University of Rwanda with funding support from ASAPbio. The aims of the club were to raise awareness and increase the use of preprints. The hybrid launch event attracted 14 in-person and 4 virtual attendees.
Photo taken at the launch day at the University of Rwanda
Biweekly Programs
Across the year, we held seven biweekly sessions focusing on essential research topics and preprint writing. Session highlights included:
Peer review and engaging with preprints
Writing the results section
ASAPbio preprint peer review guide resources
Scientific writing and preprint drafting
Writing a research paper
Discussing the future of the club
Webinar Series
In addition to the biweekly program, we held a webinar series which provided a platform to discuss broader themes in preprint advocacy and open science across four sessions.
The Rwanda Preprint Club had its first webinar in May 2024. The first webinar was an opportunity to host AfricArxiv. Ms. Roseline Dzekem Dine introduced the Rwanda Preprint Club and gave the floor to Johanna Havemann from AfricArxiv and Martha Chikuni from UbuntuNet Alliance. Eighteen club members were taught how to use AfricArXiv. The facilitator empowered attendees, providing them with valuable insights into the adoption of digital tools and persistent identifiers.
The second webinar discussed the benefits of open peer review and how researchers can work together to review preprints. Vanessa Fairhurst and Chad Sansing from PREreview shared opportunities for learning and teaching within the research community. Members of the 2024 PREreview Champions Program from the African context shared their experiences working with PREreview, providing a great opportunity to understand more about collaborative review processes and their impact on science. The webinar series was co-organized by UbuntuNet Alliance and Access 2 Perspectives as part of the ORCID Global Participation Program.
In September, the Rwanda Preprint Club was featured in another webinar on “Advocating for Preprint Sharing in Rwanda and Africa in General.” In this webinar, the club discussed the benefits of preprints, support for scientific progress, challenges, and opportunities for preprint sharing in Rwanda and across Africa. The webinar series was co-organized by UbuntuNet Alliance and Access 2 Perspectives.
In the final webinar, Ms. Dine Roseline Dzekem was invited by the Digital Hub for Open Research in East Africa to provide an introduction to preprints. The recording of the session is available on YouTube.
Preprint Advocacy, Reviews, and Preprint
As the club continued advocating for preprints, eight preprints were published on the AfricArXiv repository, covering diverse topics such as antimicrobial resistance, healthcare system strengthening, and road safety education. This was in addition to seven preprints that were reviewed via PREreview.
Needs AssessmentPreprint
A needs assessment conducted between September and November provided valuable insights related to preprinting.
Among 100 respondents from different African countries, 64% were aware of preprints, 40% reported institutional promotion, and 62% recognized their relevance to institutional roles. However, 53% cited limited recognition of preprints within the scientific community. Desired benefits from preprint clubs included research funding support (83%), open peer review (82%), and access to shared opportunities (79%). Participants recommended educational workshops, partnerships with academic institutions, targeted online campaigns, and localized resources to enhance preprint adoption and foster an open science ecosystem across Africa.
The findings of the preprint were published on AfricArxiv.
End-of-Year Event
The club celebrated its end-of-year with an event “Advocating for Preprint Sharing in Rwanda and Africa” which received 150 registrations. Three guest speakers were featured with presentations on the key scholarly services for preprint sharing and community-based peer review:
Jonny Coates from ASAPbio gave an overview of the African and global preprint landscape.
Jo Havemann from Access 2 Perspectives provided an overview of Open Science, Open Access principles, and the opportunity to share preprints via the continental research repository AfricArXiv.
Vanessa Fairhurst from PREreview discussed the services and activities of PREreview and the value of collaborative peer review.
During the event, the findings of the needs assessment were also presented, revealing the preprint promotion and adoption in Africa. Ms. Dine Roseline Dzekem rounded up the event by sharing the club’s journey, achievements, challenges, and exciting plans for the future.
It was during this event that the club’s name officially changed from the Rwanda Preprint Club to the Review and Curate Network. The network aims to foster a collaborative and transparent environment that evaluates, validates, and organizes preprints.
At the end of the event, participants were provided with certificates of attendance. The event was published on AfricArxiv and a full recording of the event can be found online.
Looking Ahead
As we step into 2025, our focus remains on expanding awareness of preprints in schools and universities, organizing workshops, and fostering collaborations to strengthen the open science ecosystem across Africa.
Guest post written by Roseline Dzekem Dine (2023 ASAPbio Fellow)
2024 was transformative for the Review and Curate Network, as we championed open science, preprint sharing, and collaborative peer review in Rwanda and across Africa. This year, we launched impactful programs and saw significant milestones that reflected our mission to foster transparency and inclusivity in research.
Key Highlights From 2024
Launch of the Rwanda Preprint Club
The club was officially founded on April 2, 2024, at the University of Rwanda with funding support from ASAPbio. The aims of the club were to raise awareness and increase the use of preprints. The hybrid launch event attracted 14 in-person and 4 virtual attendees.
Photo taken at the launch day at the University of Rwanda
Biweekly Programs
Across the year, we held seven biweekly sessions focusing on essential research topics and preprint writing. Session highlights included:
Webinar Series
In addition to the biweekly program, we held a webinar series which provided a platform to discuss broader themes in preprint advocacy and open science across four sessions.
The Rwanda Preprint Club had its first webinar in May 2024. The first webinar was an opportunity to host AfricArxiv. Ms. Roseline Dzekem Dine introduced the Rwanda Preprint Club and gave the floor to Johanna Havemann from AfricArxiv and Martha Chikuni from UbuntuNet Alliance. Eighteen club members were taught how to use AfricArXiv. The facilitator empowered attendees, providing them with valuable insights into the adoption of digital tools and persistent identifiers.
The second webinar discussed the benefits of open peer review and how researchers can work together to review preprints. Vanessa Fairhurst and Chad Sansing from PREreview shared opportunities for learning and teaching within the research community. Members of the 2024 PREreview Champions Program from the African context shared their experiences working with PREreview, providing a great opportunity to understand more about collaborative review processes and their impact on science. The webinar series was co-organized by UbuntuNet Alliance and Access 2 Perspectives as part of the ORCID Global Participation Program.
In September, the Rwanda Preprint Club was featured in another webinar on “Advocating for Preprint Sharing in Rwanda and Africa in General.” In this webinar, the club discussed the benefits of preprints, support for scientific progress, challenges, and opportunities for preprint sharing in Rwanda and across Africa. The webinar series was co-organized by UbuntuNet Alliance and Access 2 Perspectives.
In the final webinar, Ms. Dine Roseline Dzekem was invited by the Digital Hub for Open Research in East Africa to provide an introduction to preprints. The recording of the session is available on YouTube.
Preprint Advocacy, Reviews, and Preprint
As the club continued advocating for preprints, eight preprints were published on the AfricArXiv repository, covering diverse topics such as antimicrobial resistance, healthcare system strengthening, and road safety education. This was in addition to seven preprints that were reviewed via PREreview.
Needs Assessment Preprint
A needs assessment conducted between September and November provided valuable insights related to preprinting.
Among 100 respondents from different African countries, 64% were aware of preprints, 40% reported institutional promotion, and 62% recognized their relevance to institutional roles. However, 53% cited limited recognition of preprints within the scientific community. Desired benefits from preprint clubs included research funding support (83%), open peer review (82%), and access to shared opportunities (79%). Participants recommended educational workshops, partnerships with academic institutions, targeted online campaigns, and localized resources to enhance preprint adoption and foster an open science ecosystem across Africa.
The findings of the preprint were published on AfricArxiv.
End-of-Year Event
The club celebrated its end-of-year with an event “Advocating for Preprint Sharing in Rwanda and Africa” which received 150 registrations. Three guest speakers were featured with presentations on the key scholarly services for preprint sharing and community-based peer review:
During the event, the findings of the needs assessment were also presented, revealing the preprint promotion and adoption in Africa. Ms. Dine Roseline Dzekem rounded up the event by sharing the club’s journey, achievements, challenges, and exciting plans for the future.
It was during this event that the club’s name officially changed from the Rwanda Preprint Club to the Review and Curate Network. The network aims to foster a collaborative and transparent environment that evaluates, validates, and organizes preprints.
At the end of the event, participants were provided with certificates of attendance. The event was published on AfricArxiv and a full recording of the event can be found online.
Looking Ahead
As we step into 2025, our focus remains on expanding awareness of preprints in schools and universities, organizing workshops, and fostering collaborations to strengthen the open science ecosystem across Africa.