This is our formal policy. For why we work this way, see Working in the open.

Astera’s Open Science Policy

Astera’s Vision & Expectations

We envision a future in which all research outputs are shared rapidly and openly. The journal publication system is fundamentally unfit for this purpose and is a relic of the past. In an effort to build for a more abundant, open future, Astera will no longer support this journal-centric world. Explicitly, we will not allow Astera time or funds to be used to contribute directly to journal articles.

This constraint is an intentional forcing function for researchers to try new and better ways to continuously publish as much of their work as possible in the form of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) research outputs. Astera also supports the cataloging and documentation of these outputs to enhance interpretability. Within this framework, we seek to maximize the potential for broad reach, impact, and reuse. We realize there’s no perfect solution yet, and will be working with researchers to experiment and innovate towards a better future.

We understand that pushing against the status quo for publishing can sometimes be challenging or uncomfortable. In the absence of proxies for quality (journal titles or impact factors, for example) demonstrating reach and impact are more difficult. But the substance of quality and rigor is more important than the appearance of it.

These guidelines exemplify Astera’s vision and core principles, and keep us accountable so that we remain radically transparent. We look forward to working with researchers to be changemakers for open science.

DOI

This policy may be found at 10.5281/zenodo.17873235

Primary Outputs

Researchers are expected to:

  • Publish outputs as soon as they are ready for reuse. All underlying outputs (code, data, presentations, etc) must be openly published when or before (1) they are referenced publicly or (2) the findings are shared with Astera in a written report.
  • Apply appropriate licenses/waivers (see below).
  • Deposit research outputs in venues that ensure outputs are FAIR (see below).
  • List Astera as an affiliation or a funder, using its Research Organization Registry (ROR) ID when this becomes available.
  • Maintain a list of research outputs in a spreadsheet that is shared with the open science team. We will provide a template.

Researchers are prohibited from:

  • Using Astera funds or time to contribute (whether as an author or otherwise) directly to the creation of journal publications.
  • Listing Astera as an affiliation on any journal article.
  • Delaying publication of Astera-funded outputs of any kind to accommodate journal articles.
  • Using Astera funding for publication fees.
  • Using Astera funding or time for research intended to satisfy journal reviewers and editors.
Types of Outputs

Below are our current recommended FAIR venues for publishing research outputs at Astera. Researchers should reach out to Open Science to explore anything that isn’t represented here.

Code — MIT license or more open

  • GitHub*

Data — CC0 waiver

  • Zenodo*
  • When there is a disciplinary repository available that would make content more visible and impactful, please discuss with Open Science.

Articles/text — CC BY or more open

  • Nanopublications (for hypotheses and other assertions)
  • Preprint servers such as bioRxiv
  • Posts without a DOI and permanent archiving (e.g. Substack, Medium, etc) should be archived on Zenodo

Protocols — CC BY or more open

  • Protocols.io
  • Other approved repositories, such as Zenodo**

Physical resources

  • Addgene
  • DSMZ

*Astera may enable community lists or channels when there is sufficient need
**To request approvals, please reach out to Open Science

Making research outputs interpretable

As we move away from a paradigm that centers around journal articles, we must find new ways to describe and organize continuously-published research outputs so that they are interpretable.

We recognize that this and other open research practices come at the cost of time and other resources. Astera is working to develop tools that will make this process easier. For now, researchers are expected to maintain a list of research outputs they have created as part of their work with Astera in a spreadsheet.

We look forward to a world where policies like this one are unnecessary, because they embody default practices. We’re excited to contribute to creating that better future.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have questions not addressed on this list, please reach out to our Open Science team.

A major function of journals is status. What replaces it?
Nothing, deliberately. The status the current system confers is a false signal. There’s no crystal ball of impact, and a journal’s stamp can’t make substance true before it plays out. Instead, we’re more interested in building outputs that are verifiable and reusable as soon as they become public.

What about my or other people’s careers?
Career worries are a large part of what keeps the current system in place, and they’re reasonable to raise. But careers also get built in the open, and visibility tends to rise, not fall. When work gets scooped, citations split roughly evenly between the scooping and scooped papers rather than going to a single winner. This won’t suit everyone, which is fine. Many researchers don’t treat openness as a deal-breaker, and those who move early tend to benefit from it.

Won’t I get scooped?
Being early and open tends to increase your visibility and reputation rather than diminish it. Much of “scooping” can also be reframed in terms of reproducibility: seeing two groups reach the same result around the same time is good for the field, because it shows the artifact isn’t false, and it tends to elevate the profile of both researchers.

What if my work would benefit from peer review?
Rigor is what survives reuse, replication, and scrutiny over time, not what clears an editor. Two or three assigned reviewers rarely have the range to judge interdisciplinary work, and the things people imagine review verifies (data availability, working code, sound statistics) often go unchecked. Review still happens, and it works better in the open, after sharing. You can engage with initiatives such as PREreview, Review Commons, and Peer Community In to organize this.

Journals can sometimes help people find my work more easily. What are some other ways to do this?
A persistent identifier, structured metadata, and a crawlable page make work findable by Google Scholar, OpenAlex, and the AI systems people increasingly search through. Journals were never a great discovery mechanism; they were a prestige layer that looked like one. Social media, Substack, and similar channels can add reach on top of that.

Do you really publish process, not just results?
Yes. The policy requires the underlying artifacts (code, data, protocols, presentations) to be shared openly on or before first public reference or internal reporting, not saved up for a final narrative. Negative results and dead ends count; informative failures shape the field too. The policy sets the principle and leaves the exact workflow to the scientists who know their own work best.

How can I collaborate with others who have different publishing goals?
Our default is an open collaboration. Astera funds work that’s released openly as soon as it’s ready, without pre-publication peer review. Anyone, including Astera, outside collaborators, or the public, can build on the results, and academic partners can pursue their own journal work afterward, independently of Astera.

If Astera researchers are collaborating with an outside group that wishes to publish in journals, we recommend that the Astera researchers FAIRly and promptly publish their related findings (figures, data, text, code, etc.) according to this policy. The academic group can then reuse and appropriately cite these materials in a manuscript to be submitted to a journal. If the journal objects on the grounds that the work has been previously published, we recommend that the group look up the journal’s preprint policy: the partial release of material included in the manuscript is akin to the publication of a preprint.

What if someone takes my published data, tool, or platform and uses it toward a journal publication?
If the journal authors cite your work, this is an example of the system working as intended. If they have used it without attribution, consider contacting the editors to explore issuing a correction.

What about data embargoes and sensitive data?
In general, delaying the publication of data runs counter to Astera’s values, but we recognize that certain situations may necessitate a more closed approach. Please contact the Open Science team to discuss your individual case.

What if there’s something I want to protect IP for?
Astera owns all IP created during employment or under contract, and we will publish it appropriately to maximize social benefit.

What if my field is really small and I can’t compel others to do this?
In a small field, your efforts will have even greater impact. Reach out to the Open Science team so that we can help you brainstorm how to take advantage of this.

Can I post my short observations to a preprint server?
Yes. Different preprint servers have different submission standards. For example, bioRxiv is for “complete, unpublished” manuscripts that contain new data, but there are very short bioRxiv preprints with one or even zero figures or tables (FAQ). On the other hand, OSF Preprints hosts many communities that moderate submissions, but users can also submit a preprint outside of these communities, and it will be posted immediately.

You can also use preprint servers to publish “preprints in progress” that update over time. Please see Navarro & Cheeseman as an example.

If your observations are more like a single data point or assertion, consider nanopublications. These machine-readable objects can be used to express hypotheses (see example).

What if I leave Astera in the middle of a project before I’m ready to publish?
All work product created during employment or under contract is property of Astera, and we will publish it appropriately to maximize social benefit. Consult with the Open Science team to create a plan for publishing your outputs.

What if I’ve already committed to things this policy now forbids?
Many people join Astera with papers and projects still in progress elsewhere. We ask that substantive work be completed or handed off to co-authors before joining. Any remaining involvement should be limited, done outside Astera work and without Astera resources, and credited to the institution where the work was done. We work through the details with each person. Consult with the Open Science team if you need assistance.

Are there additional expectations for leaders?
Yes. People in leadership roles represent Astera publicly, so we ask them to go further. Prior work they stay involved in should follow our basic open practices, even if Astera didn’t fund it and it’s headed to a journal. They will preprint it before or at journal submission, or publish it in a more aligned venue, and release the full data and code. If that isn’t possible, we work with them on options, such as stepping back as an author.