Open access publication of animal welfare research accelerates the translation of science into practice by removing barriers to knowledge for farmers, vets, and advocates.
Open access in animal welfare science has direct welfare implications. When welfare research is locked behind expensive journal paywalls, farmers, veterinarians, and advocates in low-income countries - where the majority of the world's livestock live - cannot access the evidence they need to improve practices. Open access accelerates knowledge translation into practice improvements. Funders and publishers are increasingly requiring open access, and many welfare researchers self-archive preprints. Open data sharing enables systematic reviews and meta-analyses that generate more robust welfare evidence. The animal welfare science community has a strong ethical case for prioritising open access publication of research with direct welfare relevance.