About

Driving innovation in scholarly communication

eLife Pathways, a technology initiative from eLife, develops open-source software and infrastructure to advance open science. The initiative transforms how the global community communicates, reviews, and assesses research.

eLife Pathways, a technology initiative from eLife, develops open-source software and infrastructure to advance open science. The initiative transforms how the global community communicates, reviews, and assesses research.

The global research community is ready for a transparent, equitable, and efficient open science ecosystem. Yet, a lack of coordinated, open-source infrastructure stifles this vision and fails to replace traditional, journal-centric publishing. Funded by Wellcome, eLife Pathways is a new independent initiative designed to bridge critical gaps in technology and expertise. By working with scholarly open-source infrastructure providers, eLife Pathways provides the essential connections and technical expertise needed to integrate disconnected software into powerful, user-friendly, and adaptable tools.

Our mission is to build and service a diverse, inclusive, and coordinated publishing ecosystem that empowers the global community to embrace open technology, assess research responsibly, and share knowledge equitably.

Our Story

eLife has a rich history of developing and investing in innovation and technology. Supporting open science through building open-source software and fostering the communities around those tools has always been part of eLife’s mission. Since 2012, eLife has been involved in many collaborations that have blossomed into impactful open science initiatives.

Who we are

The Pathways technology team operates as a single, agile unit built on resilience, lean delivery, and continuous improvement. Our team spans software, product, UX, data, and infrastructure—combining these technical specialities with a shared, generalist approach to problem-solving. The eLife Pathways project is led by:

  • Michael Markie

    Michael Markie

    Head of Innovation Initiatives, eLife

    Michael has spent 15 years at the heart of the open science movement. Bringing hands-on experience in scaling open research organisations from the ground up, he played a pivotal role in implementing F1000 Research’s “publish-review-curate” model and launched major publishing platforms for Wellcome, the Gates Foundation, and the European Commission. He also leads the community for Incentivising Collaborative Open Research (ICOR), driven by the belief that the future of scholarly communication depends on collective effort.

  • Paul Shannon

    Paul Shannon

    Head of Technology, eLife

    Paul has over twenty years' experience in agile and lean software development. Following a career in the digital music technology industry, he joined eLife in 2016 to evolve their engineering department from a single group into a series of specialised, high-performing teams. During his tenure, Paul has overseen the launch of eLife’s open-source journal software, the development of Sciety, while deepening the organisation’s involvement with the wider open ecosystem. He focuses on translating complex technical hurdles into clear objectives, ensuring that modern engineering practices directly support the goals of open science.