Multidisciplinary research is key in today’s world, and here at Research Features magazine the stage is set for you to enjoy a diverse collection of topics. From historical geography to hydrology, conflict research to climate change, we’re proud to host a wide range of fascinating research in this issue. The common theme is that the researchers featured are all pushing the boundaries of their fields. We learn how plant evolution is helping track radioactive material at Chernobyl; how complex statistics improves data analysis, to promote scientific understanding and discovery; we explore the processes whereby high blood pressure kills cells, ironically generating debris that further raises blood pressure; how water management being is tackled in the slums of Sub-Saharan Africa through a combination of social intervention and hydrological assessment… And much more!

We meet Helena R. Asamoah-Hassan, Executive Director of the African Library & Information Associations & Institutions (AfLIA). She explains AfLIA’s goal of creating an environment that enables communities to be well informed, and ensuring information is used to enrich personal and national development.

Melissa Hagemann, Senior Program Manager of the Open Society Foundations, talks to us about how the landscape of open access publishing has changed in the last 15 years, and the challenges still faced today by Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI).

It’s a real pleasure to showcase research from such a diverse range of topics. I hope you enjoy reading these articles as much as we did. Enjoy!