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As we approach a new year, we’re looking back at 2022 and some of the achievements of Gates Open Research and its authors, as the Platform continues to go from strength to strength in supporting the Gates research community.

We’re also exploring the five most-read articles of the year and some of the key research themes of 2022.

2022 in numbers

Gates Open Research is continuing to grow in visibility and influence as we approach its sixth anniversary, which is reflected in the success of this year.

The Platform retains its spot as a top three publishing venue for Gates grantees, with researchers publishing 61 articles on Gates Open Research in 2022, at the time of writing. These articles share insights into everything from mosquito-borne diseases to the healthcare needs of forcibly displaced persons.

Additionally, 44 of these articles have so far passed peer review and been indexed in PubMed Central and Scopus.

Articles published in 2022 have accrued almost 23,000 views and over 2,100 downloads over the year. This reflects both the significant visibility of articles published on the Platform and benefits for authors when publishing open access.

Some of 2022’s key research themes on Gates Open Research were infectious disease, maternal and child health, and health services, including:

• How fertility intentions lead to contraceptive continuation among a cohort of family planning users in Nigeria
• Environmental factors influencing the local establishment of Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in central Vietnam
• A randomized controlled trial of the effect of intravenous iron on anaemia in pregnant women in Malawi

The importance of a variety of article types

One key benefit of Gates Open Research is the ability to publish a range of article types, from traditional Research Articles to Method Articles and Study Protocols.

This ensures that researchers can publish all their outputs at different stages throughout the research journey, thus reducing research waste. This also enables greater reproducibility and trust in the findings.

The Platform is well established as a publishing venue for Research Articles, with authors publishing 41 Research Articles this year. However, we saw six other article types published in 2022. These included eight Study Protocols, six Open Letters, three Systematic Reviews and two Method Articles.

You can read more about the article types supported on Gates Open Research in our blog.

2022’s most-read articles

Articles published on Gates Open Research covered a whole range of research topics, and we’ve identified 2022’s most-read articles.

Cost of Goods Analysis Facilitates an Integrated Approach to Identifying Alternative Synthesis Methodologies for Lower Cost Manufacturing of the COVID-19 Antiviral Molnupiravir

Our most-read article of 2022, with 1452 views, explores how to make Molnupiravir, an anti-viral oral drug for COVID-19, more cost-effective.

The study focused on a holistic approach to identifying, developing, and evaluating optimized synthetic routes to lower costs and improve global access to Molnupiravir, with best-case results providing a Cost of Goods treatment as low as <$3/ regimen.

Global research and learning agenda for building evidence on contraceptive-induced menstrual changes for research, product development, policies, and programs

Our second most-read article, with 1214 views, introduces a global research and learning agenda to improve understanding of contraceptive-induced menstrual changes (CIMCs). It also aims to improve the incorporation of CIMCs in research, product development, policies, and programs globally.

The Open Letter highlights the impact of CIMCs on family planning uptake and the evidence and knowledge gaps that the CMIC Task Force seeks to remedy.

The Childhood Acute Illness and Nutrition (CHAIN) network nested case-cohort study protocol: a multi-omics approach to understanding mortality among children in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

Maternal and child health was a key research theme on Gates Open Research this year, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that an article focusing on child health is our third most-read article, with 779 views.

Many acutely ill children in low- and middle-income countries have a high risk of mortality both during and after hospitalization, and this Study Protocol seeks to understand the biological mechanisms leading to inpatient and post-discharge mortality among children in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The authors also seek to suggest ways in which target interventions can be developed to reduce the risk of mortality.

A multi-stakeholder participatory pilot study of the data demands of the future Ethiopian dairy sector

Our fourth most-read article, with 608 views, presents conclusions from a pilot study undertaken in 2018 to determine the key data needs of different Ethiopian dairy sector stakeholder groups.

The study aims to characterize the emerging trends of dairy product production, processing, retailing, and consumption in Ethiopia, identify constraints to the sector’s growth, and highlight future opportunities. Initial results from the study found several consistent endorsements by stakeholders, including the reactivation of a national dairy board.

An adaptive phase II/III safety and efficacy randomized controlled trial of single day or three-day fixed-dose albendazole-ivermectin co-formulation versus albendazole for the treatment of Trichuris trichiura and other STH infections

The final article on our most-read list, with 588 views, is a Study Protocol outlining a clinical trial of a novel drug combination for treating soil-transmitted helminths (STH), otherwise known as parasitic worms such as the roundworm, whipworm, and hookworm.

The Study Protocol highlights that the use of albendazole and mebendazole has variable success in treating STH among at-risk groups in endemic regions, with particular deficiencies against Trichuris trichiura and Strongyloides stercoralis. Novel drug combinations offer a potential solution – provided they can be delivered safely and effectively against all STH species – and this study suggests a novel drug combination in a clinical trial setting.

Looking to the future

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