FOSN FAQ

Frequentyl Asked Questions

1. What is the FOSN ?

The Future of Science Network (FOSN) is a non-profit, open-access and open-source ecosystem dedicated to rethinking how academic knowledge is produced, evaluated, and shared.

In other words FOSN is a hub and a toolbox for academics who want to launch innovative publishing initiatives, as well as a biannual conference on publishing innovations where member of this network can meet physically. Some of our supported initiatives are journals, others are repositories, notebooks, or many different things. We help academics do things that are unusual, difficult, or maladapted to the existing structures. The only thing we ask is for our supported initiatives to espouse the non-commercial, open access philosophy of FOSN. In exchange, we develop tools to help these initiatives grow (see here for the tools already developed or planned).

FOSN also maintains an open-source approach to its tools and prototype systems. By making the code and architecture public, we encourage reuse, modification, and collective improvement by the wider academic community.

The project is rooted in Africa and connects African research initiatives with global partners. Its aim is to strengthen direct collaboration between universities, labs, and independent researchers across continents.

FOSN brings together several initiatives: AI-assisted editorial workflows, open review models, participatory publication formats, and tools for new forms of scholarly interaction. More fundamentally, it is a community that explores how the circulation of knowledge can itself become a site of research and innovation.

In essence, FOSN is a hub that exists to ensure that the systems used to evaluate and transmit ideas evolve at the same pace as the ideas themselves.

2. Who are you ?

The FOSN is an initiative hosted at University Mohammed VI Polytech (Morocco) in partnership with Aix-Marseille Université, University of Chicago and the Columbia Center for Contemporary Critical Thought. It is led by Raphaël Liogier who hold the Chair of Transitions at Mohammed VI Polytech and supported by an academic advisory board. Technical development is supported by two internal Moroccan teams (the 1337 School and the Chair of Transitions) as well as two external teams (GrowGraph and Altaris).

3. What stage of development is FOSN in right now ?

FOSN is in an alpha phase focused on foundational build-out. An original platform built from 2018 to 2021 is now being split into three coordinated products, and the Future of Science Network occupies the segment dedicated to innovation in academic publishing. Core technical and product structures are already defined, and several components are in active development or migration.

The alpha focuses on three layers. The first is the technical transfer of the legacy infrastructure to UM6P servers, preserving authentication, graphics assets, and overall design while preparing a simplified UX oriented around open-review journals and archives. This includes the integration of automated document-to-HTML conversion, administrative tools, and automated DOI assignment functions, as documented in the 2025 roadmap .

The second layer is the consolidation of partnerships and the articulation of the innovation perimeter. FOSN sits within a consortium involving Aix-Marseille Université, UM6P, the University of Chicago, and Columbia’s CCCT, with additional collaborations under negotiation.

The third layer is the build-out of the feature set that characterises FOSN: open review journals, conference proceedings, open archives, and notebooks, plus exploratory work on AI-supported reviewing and automated publication pipelines. These elements were discussed with the development teams and external collaborators during coordination meetings and are currently implemented as prototypes or early working modules .

Overall, the platform is operational enough to run an internal alpha, test workflows, and refine the user experience, but not yet ready for public onboarding. The aim of this stage is to validate technical stability, confirm feature viability with a controlled group of contributors, and prepare the transition to a wider beta release in 2026.

4. Who can submit an initiative or a text to FOSN ?

To submit an initiative as a lead editor, you must be affiliated with an academic institution or be invited by someone who is.

Within each initiative, the lead editor determines the submission conditions for authors, contributors, and reviewers.

5. How can I contribute to FOSN ?

You may propose research ideas, experimental editorial workflows, or technical prototypes that explore new uses of digital tools in scholarly publishing. If you are interested in contributing, you may contact the team to discuss whether your project aligns with the current development priorities.

6. Can I contribute anonymously or under a pseudonym ?

Yes. Anonymous and pseudonymous participation has always played an important role in intellectual life, especially when discussing sensitive topics or critiquing established positions. For safety and integrity reasons, platform administrators must nevertheless have access to your real identity through a professional email address that is not visible to other users.

7. Where is FOSN hosted ?

FOSN is currently hosted on secure servers operated by UM6P (Mohammed VI Polytechnic University) at the 1337 School in Ben Guerir, Morocco: Lot 660 – Hay Moulay Rachid, Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco.

Once the full website becomes public, a monthly backup will be stored on a secure server operated by Aix-Marseille Université in Marseille, France: 58 boulevard Charles-Livon, 13284 Marseille.

8. What are the copyrights on FOSN data and code ?

At public release, all data and platform code will be made available under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) v3, ensuring open access, reuse, and modification rights.

9. What kinds of publications exist on FOSN?

FOSN supports several publication formats designed to accommodate different stages and modes of academic work.

• Open Review Journals (ORJ). These are researcher-led journals that follow a peer review process conducted in an open and transparent manner. Reviews, replies, and editorial decisions remain accessible.

• Open Review Conference Proceedings (ORCP). These volumes collect peer-reviewed contributions from academic events. They can incorporate multimedia material such as recorded talks or panel discussions.

• Open Review Archives (ORA). These archives allow any researcher to deposit work that undergoes an open evaluation process, similar to a preprint enriched by community feedback and editorial oversight.

• Open Review Notebooks (ORN). These are closed archives reserved for a specific community, such as a laboratory or research group, allowing shared work and internal open review within a secure environment.

We are also currently working on several other formats based on AI-assisted tools.

10. Is FOSN free to use?

Yes. FOSN is a non-profit, open-access infrastructure. There are no submission fees, reader fees, or subscription costs. The project is funded through public partnerships and institutional collaborations, which enables the entire platform to operate without shifting costs onto authors or readers.

All tools, publications, and data hosted on FOSN are freely accessible, and the codebase is released under an open-source license. Our objective is to ensure that publicly funded research remains publicly available.

11. What role does AI play in FOSN’s workflows?

Some members of FOSN are interested in exploring how artificial intelligence can support editorial and evaluative processes. AI may be used to assist with document processing, such as automatic conversion from .doc files to structured HTML, metadata extraction, or consistency checks. It may also help identify potential reviewers, detect conflicts of interest, or surface relevant literature. Some initiatives are also exploring more automated processes such as AI reviewing of papers.

12. How does FOSN prevent conflicts of interest or abuse in open review?

Every author of FOSN agrees to FOSN Code of conduct, which includes rules on abuse, harrasment and conflicts of interest. Reviewers may choose to reveal their identity or remain anonymous, but all identities are verified by the platform to prevent impersonation or manufactured personas. Editors monitor interactions to detect personal attacks, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or coordinated behaviour. Editors can remove inappropriate content, pause a review, or reassign a reviewer if necessary. These mechanisms allow open review to remain transparent while maintaining a professional and respectful environment. The FOSN admins can also ban users for egregious violations of the Code of conduct. Appeals may be submitted to the FOSN Advisory Board for review via [e-mail]

13. What is open review and how does it work on FOSN?

Open review is an evaluation model in which the review process itself becomes visible. Instead of keeping reviewer reports and editorial decisions confidential, Open Review Initiatives makes them accessible alongside the final publication. Reviewers can choose to remain anonymous to the public, but the substance of their assessments, the authors’ replies, and the editors’ reasoning are openly available.

14. I want to submit an open review of a paper published on FOSN.

You have two options. You may submit your review directly to the editor of the initiative that published the original paper, or you may submit it to the Archive of Academic Commentary. The Archive accept open reviews of any publication (including any FOSN publication) as long as the submission follows the FOSN Code of Conduct. Make sure to include a link to the original paper in your submission form. Your publication will appear below the original contribution.

15. How is FOSN funded?

FOSN is financed through more than one million euros of public and institutional support. The project rests on three principal funding sources, each committed to the long-term development of open science infrastructures.

• A*Midex Foundation (Aix-Marseille Université) • UM6P Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS). • UM6P Chair of Transitions.

These three sources ensure that FOSN remains non-profit, openly accessible, and independent of commercial incentives. All resources produced by the project, from software to publications, are made available to the academic community without fees.

16. How do you ensure the long-term durability of FOSN in case of funding interruptions?

Every new infrastructure project carries financial risks, and FOSN is designed explicitly to remain stable even during periods with limited funding. Several structural safeguards guarantee continuity.

• Minimal hosting costs. The platform is built so it can operate on standard university servers with low maintenance requirements. If funding slows or pauses, the core system can continue to run on university infrastructure without significant recurring expenses.

• Open-source codebase. All software is released under an open-source license. This allows the wider community of developers, universities, and research groups to maintain or extend the platform independently of any specific funding cycle.

• External preservation of content. Editors may deposit the publications of their initiatives in independent archives such as Zenodo or institutional repositories. This ensures that contributions remain indexed, citable, and permanently accessible, even if unforeseen events affect the FOSN platform.

Together, these measures create a resilient ecosystem where publications remain accessible, the platform remains reproducible, and the community can continue to build on the infrastructure regardless of funding fluctuations.

17. Is this site a journal ?

No. FOSN is a hub and a toolbox for academics who want to launch innovative publishing initiatives. Some of those are journals, others are repositories, notebooks, or many different things. The only thing we ask is for our supported initiatives to espouse the non-commercial, open access philosophy of FOSN. In exchange, we develop tools to help these initiatives grow (see here for the tools already developed or planned).