Protocol publication in evidence synthesis: structural incentives and pathways to sustainable adoption

In response to Seixas (2026), we endorse prospective protocol publication as a core mechanism for transparency and accountability in evidence synthesis. We argue, however, that persistently low uptake reflects not only cultural and educational gaps but also structural disincentives: the financial burden of APCs and the bibliometric “citation penalty” that discourages journals from hosting protocols. Drawing on the Portuguese/Southern European context, we highlight the strategic role of diamond open access journals in sustaining protocol publication where APC-based models create inequities. We propose actionable pathways to normalize protocol publication, including earmarked funder support for protocol costs, metric reforms that avoid penalizing protocols, a pragmatic complementarity between registry-based and journal-based protocols, and investment in diamond OA infrastructure. Aligning funding, evaluation, and editorial incentives is essential to move protocol publication from normative ideal to routine practice.