COVID-19 has created numerous challenges that make access to research and educational materials even more pressing concerns. Traditional methods of publishing are typically unsuitable for rapidly sharing information because publishers exert copyright control over articles by embargoing access. In an era when researchers need to quickly share information in order to develop a vaccine, this style of information-sharing is not efficient and certainly not equitable.

The following articles and posts discuss some of these concerns, highlighting inequities that have been exposed by the global pandemic of 2020.

While open access publishing holds promise for addressing certain equity issues, challenges remain for ensuring that this model of publishing does not reproduce inequalities already present in society. Everyone investing in "open" solutions needs to continue asking difficult questions about how resources are allocated and how these decisions may or may not serve to exclude particular groups. Some of the following articles and posts address these issues: