Reclaiming Disability Research for Public Purpose

Recent commentary on the “enshittification” of academic publishing has struck a chord at NDRP. It describes a system increasingly shaped by volume, metrics, and commercial incentives, often at the expense of quality, accessibility and public value.

For disability research, the implications are particularly acute. When evidence is difficult to access, hard to trust or disconnected from lived experience, it becomes harder for governments, communities, and service systems to deliver meaningful reform.

At the National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP), we see this not as a critique of researchers, but as a shared challenge we need to address together.

Researchers are among NDRP’s strongest allies. Many sit on our Board and Research Committee. Many lead or partner in disability-led projects. Many are actively pushing back against narrow metrics and working to ensure their research makes a difference beyond academic publication.

The problem is not research or researchers.

It is a system that too often rewards where research is published rather than whether it improves policy and practice. While career progression and funding are often metric driven, many researchers find personal motivation in building evidence that can lead to better outcomes in the real world.

NDRP was established to help shift this dynamic.

Our focus on Evidence to Action starts from a clear premise: research funded in the public interest should be accessible, credible, and usable.

That means:

• Research done by and with people with disability

• Early and ongoing engagement with policy and practice stakeholders

• Valuing integrity, relevance, and implementation insights

• Treating accessibility as a quality issue, not a dissemination add on.

This approach aligns directly with Australia’s Disability Strategy, particularly its emphasis on evidence informed policy, meaningful participation, and accountability across systems.

So how can researchers make sure their work is accessible and useable for policymakers, advocates and community members in the current publishing landscape? 

In disability research, a credible alternative is already in place.

The APO Disability Research Collection, curated by NDRP in partnership with Australian Policy Online, provides a free, publicly accessible home for disability research that is designed to be used.

The APO Disability Research Collection brings together disability-led and policy-relevant research in one trusted, open location.

It is designed for:

• Policy makers and advisers across Commonwealth, state, and territory governments

• Agencies and regulators working in complex reform environments

• Advocacy organisations and people with disability seeking accessible evidence

• Researchers who want their work to inform real-world decisions.

Inclusion in the Collection is not about journal prestige. It is about relevance, integrity, and potential for impact.

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Watch the video: Making evidence easier to find and use

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In a crowded and commercialised publishing environment, governments face a real challenge: identifying credible, current evidence that speaks directly to reform priorities.

Curated, open collections like this help address that challenge. They complement academic publishing by shifting the focus from where research sits to how it can inform decisions, supporting the delivery of Australia’s Disability Strategy across policy design, implementation, and evaluation.

This is not about rejecting academic publishing.

It is about ensuring publicly funded disability research fulfils its public purpose.

By investing in disability-led research and the infrastructure that helps evidence travel into policy and practice, NDRP is working with researchers, advocates, and governments to counter the forces that undermine trust, accessibility, and impact.

Because research matters most when it is not only published but used.

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To make sure your research reaches the right audience, learn how to add your research to the APO Disability Research Collection.