THE DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS SEMINAR

TITLE:  The Drastic Under-Representation Of African Researchers In Africa-Related Research

Abstract:

Numerous hot-topic research fields are inseparably tied to the continent of Africa, whose geo-specific intricacies are fundamental in understanding, and eventually solving the challenges countless people are faced with.  However, our investigation of scientific publication data has revealed that only a fraction of communicated results are made by researchers affiliated with institutions in Africa.  In this presentation we are investigating relationships between the frequency of authors based in Africa and factors such as journal reputation, scientific fields and researcher population per capita.  We compare the prevalence of authors to countries with similar economic conditions from other continents, such as South America to gain further insight in the reasons why African research institutions are not featured as prominently in research topics with profound local implications.  While this question is wildly complicated, with a myriad of interconnected issues, it is essential to investigate the reasons why the academic potential and local knowledge of an entire continent goes untapped in an ever more connected world.