Zenodo is rated Pro-Science with Mostly Factual factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.
PRO-SCIENCE
These sources consist of legitimate science or are evidence-based through credible scientific sourcing. Legitimate science follows the scientific method, is unbiased, and does not use emotional words. These sources also respect the consensus of experts in the given scientific field and strive to publish peer-reviewed science. Some sources in this category may have a slight political bias but adhere to scientific principles. See all Pro-Science sources.
- Overall, we rate Zenodo Pro-Science and Mostly Factual. While it is usually a reliable and widely trusted repository for preserving and sharing scientific research, the absence of peer review and inclusion of unvetted content means users must critically evaluate individual submissions.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: PRO-SCIENCE (-0.5)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (3.6)
Country: Switzerland
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: EXCELLENT
Media Type: Journal
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
Zenodo is an open-access research repository developed and operated by CERN in collaboration with the OpenAIRE project. Launched in 2013, it was created to support the European Commission’s open data policy by providing a universal repository for research outputs. According to its About page, Zenodo enables researchers worldwide to share datasets, publications, and software with persistent identifiers (DOIs), supporting the broader Open Science movement.
Read our profile on the Swiss media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
Zenodo is funded and maintained by CERN as part of its research infrastructure and supported through European Commission initiatives such as OpenAIRE. It operates as a non-profit, publicly funded platform with open-source infrastructure.
Analysis / Bias
Zenodo is not a news source but a scientific repository that hosts research outputs across all disciplines. It strongly aligns with pro-science principles by promoting open access, reproducibility, and data sharing. Content hosted on Zenodo is typically accompanied by metadata and DOIs, improving traceability and citation.
However, Zenodo does not perform peer review. According to its policies, all content is provided “as-is,” and users are responsible for evaluating the quality and validity of submissions. This open model means that while many high-quality academic datasets and papers are hosted, lower-quality or non-peer-reviewed work can also appear. For example, a Lead Stories fact check debunked a preprint hosted on Zenodo claiming significant cancer treatment benefits from ivermectin, noting it lacked proper methodology and peer review.
Overall, Zenodo itself does not exhibit editorial bias but serves as an open platform for scientific sharing. Its reliability depends on the individual research uploaded rather than platform-level editorial control.
Failed Fact Checks
- A study hosted on Zenodo claiming “84.4% clinical benefit” of ivermectin for cancer treatment was debunked by Lead Stories due to major methodological flaws, lack of peer review, and conflicts of interest.
Overall, we rate Zenodo Pro-Science and Mostly Factual. While it is usually a reliable and widely trusted repository for preserving and sharing scientific research, the absence of peer review and inclusion of unvetted content means users must critically evaluate individual submissions. (D. Van Zandt 04/26/2026)
Source: https://zenodo.org/
Last Updated on April 26, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check
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