Navigating the Digital Divide: Challenges and Opportunities in Research Publishing for African Scholars

Abstract

From ancient times, African civilization has participated in knowledge production and dissemination. The nature of research production and publishing in Africa varied throughout the years according to the influences and infrastructures present at each point in time. The colonization era was a landmark in the evolution of research practice and research publishing in Africa. It had consequences that lasted long after independence and contributed to the underdevelopment of research production and publishing systems in Africa. Currently, Africa is lagging behind in terms of its contribution to global research. An increase in African research output and an improvement of its visibility are needed. The digitization of research publishing holds great opportunities for the enhancement of scholarly publishing systems in Africa, yet it is faced with challenges. This article identifies the major challenges faced by governments, institutions, and scholars in digitizing research publishing in Africa. These challenges include limited funding, poor infrastructures, low research output, language barriers, difficulties in establishing quality assurance, copyright issues, data-management issues, and lack of policies and regulations. Addressing these challenges in local contexts is necessary to enhance digital research publishing in Africa.