Identifying Barriers and Solutions to Building African Research Capacity in Geoscience and Adjacent Fields

IF 2.9 3区 地球科学 Q2 ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
Carly Frank, Linda Prokopy, Matthew Huber
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Abstract

Africa currently accounts for 18% of the world's population yet produces less than 2% of global research. This study examines the barriers faced by African researchers in geoscience and adjacent fields to research productivity and publication, as well as explores how these scientists view collaboration with international partners. A survey instrument was distributed via email through four partnering networks. We surveyed researchers across 12 countries; however, the respondent pool was dominated by those from Nigeria and Ghana. The results of this survey show that insufficient financial support, unreliable internet access, and limited career development opportunities are key barriers to research output. Interestingly, a lack of knowledge on how to collaborate regionally may be a previously underappreciated barrier. Despite many journals offering fee waivers, financial constraints in publishing are perceived to be a substantial barrier. In contrast to previous studies, most respondents did not view language barriers or writing skills as a significant issue. Collaboration with international partners was viewed positively by respondents, the majority of whom also indicated a belief that international collaborations benefit African and international partners equally. African researchers felt they could conduct research without expertise from international partners, but not without financial aid. Further research is needed to explore the potential discrepancy in how African researchers view their ability to write scientifically, and how journal editors may view these skills. In parallel, efforts to enhance the visibility of African researchers in high-impact journals may help ensure broader inclusion of perspectives on challenges facing their continent.

Abstract Image

确定在地球科学和邻近领域建设非洲研究能力的障碍和解决办法
非洲目前占世界人口的18%,但在全球研究中所占的比例不到2%。这项研究考察了非洲科学家在地球科学和邻近领域的研究生产力和发表方面面临的障碍,并探讨了这些科学家如何看待与国际伙伴的合作。通过四个伙伴网络通过电子邮件分发了一份调查工具。我们调查了12个国家的研究人员;然而,受访者主要来自尼日利亚和加纳。调查结果显示,资金支持不足、互联网接入不可靠、职业发展机会有限是影响科研产出的主要障碍。有趣的是,缺乏关于如何开展区域合作的知识可能是一个以前未被重视的障碍。尽管许多期刊提供费用减免,但出版的资金限制被认为是一个重大障碍。与之前的研究相反,大多数受访者并不认为语言障碍或写作技能是一个重大问题。受访者对与国际伙伴的合作持积极态度,其中大多数人还表示相信,国际合作对非洲和国际伙伴同样有利。非洲科学家觉得他们可以在没有国际合作伙伴的专业知识的情况下进行研究,但如果没有经济援助就不行。需要进一步的研究来探索非洲科学家如何看待他们的科学写作能力以及期刊编辑如何看待这些技能的潜在差异。与此同时,提高非洲科学家在高影响力期刊上的知名度的努力可能有助于确保更广泛地纳入关于非洲大陆面临的挑战的观点。
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来源期刊
Earth and Space Science
Earth and Space Science Earth and Planetary Sciences-General Earth and Planetary Sciences
CiteScore
5.50
自引率
3.20%
发文量
285
审稿时长
19 weeks
期刊介绍: Marking AGU’s second new open access journal in the last 12 months, Earth and Space Science is the only journal that reflects the expansive range of science represented by AGU’s 62,000 members, including all of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences, and related fields in environmental science, geoengineering, space engineering, and biogeochemistry.
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