Barriers to Open Access uptake for researchers in Africa

Abstract

Abstract:Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent of visibility of researchers in African countries, in the Open Access (OA) arena and aims to identify main causes of reduced uptake in OA in Africa.Design/methodology/approach -Extent of visibility is explored by quantitative analysis of institutional repository and OA journals data sets followed by qualitative analysis of OA foundation documents and literature on OA in Africa published mainly between 2003 and 2013.Findings -Visibility in institutional repositories or OA journals for African researchers remains low. Causes include insufficient educational support for librarians and administrators in required new roles; inability of national, organisational and technological infrastructures to support OA; impracticality of western-based and costly publishing models; and disincentives relating to intellectual property and researcher perceptions. Complex language and literacy issues also inhibit engagement. Recommendations include strong OA advocacy, development of support initiatives, integration of international knowledge for local conditions and vice versa, sensitive preservation of indigenous knowledge and development of mechanisms of funding and research assessment mechanisms, which are economically and technically viable.Originality/value -Earlier attempts were made to raise awareness about the lack of uptake of OA in Africa. This paper shows that the situation has hardly changed and now requires urgent attention. Otherwise OA will not "become the default method for distributing new peer-reviewed research in every field and country" by 2022 (BOAI, 2012).

Integration of nematology as a training and research discipline in sub-Saharan Africa: progress and prospects

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Gold Route Open Access Journals in Engineering and Technology: Analysis of Research Impact and Implications for Scholarly Communication

“…Many are interested in the open access movement, because it tries to bridge the knowledge gap and digital divide between the advanced countries and the developing countries (Peekkhaus & Proferes 2015;Fox & Hanlon 2015). Studies have shown that research and knowledge production in developing countries, particularly in Africa, is comparatively low (Ezema 2010;Gaillard 2010;Nwagwu 2013), but the gold route OA publishers are increasingly reducing research productivity of low-income countries through high APC.…”

Canadian and South African Scholars’ Use of Institutional Repositories, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu

“…Echoing some of the concerns raised by Canadian scholars noted above, van Wyk and du Toit (2016), having studied 16 IRs in southern Africa, argue that shortcomings in curation practices will prove detrimental to the sustainability and interoperability of many of these repositories. Also reminiscent of experiences in the Canadian context is Fox and Hanlon's (2015) assertion that researchers in Africa have been slow to take advantage of the opportunities IRs offer. They cite many of the same reasons listed by Chan (2004) a decade earlier, adding language barriers and insufficient technological infrastructure and expertise as additional hindrances for African universities.…”