Governance, researcher signaling, and institutional voice in open scholarly communication, Kenya

Abstract

Open Access (OA) infrastructure does not function autonomously; it depends on governance structures, institutional coordination, and sustainable stewardship to operate effectively as a communication system. This study examines how governance arrangements, institutional policy alignment, coordination mechanisms, and sustainability frameworks influence the communicative performance of OA systems in Kenyan universities. The research was guided by Scholarly Communication Systems Theory and Knowledge Sharing Theory. Drawing on qualitative multi-site data from six universities, the study analyzes the institutional conditions that enable or constrain the transformation of information sources and digital libraries from passive platforms into active scholarly communication channels. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, purposive sampling led to the selection of thirty (30) people: six librarians, six Information Communication and Technology (ICT) officers or repository managers, six research administrators, and twelve (12) research-active faculty members; qualitative document analysis of policies and workflow instruments; and structured non-participant observation of governance and support arrangements. Thematic analysis continued up to saturation.  Findings indicate that OA platforms are formally established, governance responsibilities are often fragmented across units, resulting in diffuse ownership and inconsistent communication routines. Policy frameworks often support open access but lack operational clarity on deposit triggers, accountability, and stewardship roles. Financial and human resource constraints further weaken sustainability, with repository management often treated as an auxiliary rather than strategic function. Cross-unit coordination between libraries, ICT departments, and research offices is uneven, directly affecting interoperability maintenance, metadata quality control, and author support. Institutions demonstrating clearer governance alignment and predictable maintenance cycles show stronger communication activation and faculty engagement. The study concludes that OA systems should be understood as institutional communication infrastructures requiring deliberate governance design, stable resource allocation, and coordinated stewardship. This paper recommends a governance-centred communication framework to bolster the sustainability and effectiveness of OA systems in African higher education contexts.