Preprint Brief Report Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Research Leadership in Africa: Perspectives from the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts

Obed Ogega
* ORCID logo ,
Mary Majani
,
Cheryl Hendricks
,
Olumuyiwa Adegun
ORCID logo ,
Maria Mbatudde
,
Charles Muyanja
,
Peter Atekyereza
,
Ngandeu N. Hugue
,
Razak M. Gyasi
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 21 February 2023 / Approved: 22 February 2023 / Online: 22 February 2023 (02:46:29 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Ogega, O.M.; Majani, M.; Hendricks, C.; Adegun, O.; Mbatudde, M.; Muyanja, C.; Atekyereza, P.; Hugue, N.N.; Gyasi, R.M. Research Capacity Strengthening in Africa: Perspectives from the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts. Scientific African 2023, 20, e01708, doi:10.1016/j.sciaf.2023.e01708. Ogega, O.M.; Majani, M.; Hendricks, C.; Adegun, O.; Mbatudde, M.; Muyanja, C.; Atekyereza, P.; Hugue, N.N.; Gyasi, R.M. Research Capacity Strengthening in Africa: Perspectives from the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts. Scientific African 2023, 20, e01708, doi:10.1016/j.sciaf.2023.e01708.

Abstract

Global and human development and freedoms increasingly thrive on robust and policy-oriented research and related activities. Yet, the African research landscape faces a myriad of challenges, resulting in a very unequal continent in terms of research and research capacity. The prevailing research inequities and challenges in Africa are even more pronounced in the social sciences, humanities, arts, and related fields (SSHA). Here, the strengths and impact of scholarship in SSHA fields are often overshadowed by deficits and apparent preferential investment in research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related fields. In response, the African Academy of Sciences commissioned a study in 2020 to generate evidence on the SSHA research support landscape in Africa. This paper summarizes findings from the literature review, key informant interviews, a bibliometric analysis, a survey with a sample of 670 respondents from SSHA communities in Africa, and a series of focus group discussions. We highlight key messages and make recommendations focussing on lessons learnt opportunities, and priorities for intervention to enhance significant SSHA research leadership capacity strengthening and, ultimately, minimize research inequalities in Africa.

Keywords

early-career research; institutional capacity strengthening; research; funding; research capacity strengthening; SSHA

Subject

Social Sciences, Sociology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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