Postcolonial literature and the open access: A critical analysis

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to look at the questioning of the processes through which knowledge is produced, controlled, and disseminated via postcolonial discourse in the context of literature. This topic is relevant to the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) because of the current discussions about the dichotomy between open access (OA) and paid access to journals. While OA is considered more democratic, it is nevertheless built on previous systems of epistemic control.

Drawing on novels such as ‘Nervous Conditions’ by Tsitsi Dangarembga, ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe, ‘Purple Hibiscus’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and ‘Weep Not, Child’ by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the study explores how access to knowledge is portrayed as a contested and politicized space. These texts reveal layered hierarchies formed through colonial authority, internal social stratifications, and acts of resistance.

The analysis is carried out against the backdrop of the history of academic publishing starting from colonial missions' presses through the emergence of print capitalism to the development of OA. Despite calls for full-text accessibility through initiatives such as the Budapest Open Access Initiative (2002), OA systems, including the gold model, usually require payment from authors for handling their texts.

The analysis highlights connections between portrayals of knowledge access in literary works and modern limitations, such as paywalls and license systems. It suggests a number of alternatives that would be more equitable, namely diamond OA, bibliodiversity, and repositories by Global South countries. In essence, the article seeks to rethink scholarly communication.