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Strengthening Scholarly Publishing in Africa: Assessing the Potential of Online Systems

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Strengthening Scholarly Publishing in Africa: Assessing the Potential of Online Systems STRENGTHENING SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING IN AFRICA: ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL OF ONLINE SYSTEMS by Samuel Kwaku Smith Esseh B.A., University of Science and Technology M.A., University of Science and Technology MPub, Simon Fraser University A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in The Faculty of Graduate Studies (Language and Literacy Education) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) April 2011 © Samuel Kwaku Smith Esseh, 2011 i ABSTRACT This study investigated current publishing practices among scholarly journals in Africa, while exploring the potential contribution of online publishing systems to aid those practices. This study examined how current systems, largely involving traditional publishing methods, offer Africans limited opportunities and incremental gains in taking advantage of faster and wider dissemination of digital systems for scholarly communication. Issues about authorship, readership, editorial and peer review, as well as the level of science resources in African academic libraries, were studied. Using a well-articulated, mixed-mode research design, this study has assembled data from 286 key actors – journal editors, potential journal editors, librarians, IT administrators, faculty and postgraduate students – from sub -Saharan Africa during a 12-month period in 2007–09. Drawing on this data set, this study documents and analyzes the unparalleled availability of journals and other information resources made available to the African research community through digital technologies and publisher policies, as well as current constraints in ICT infrastructure, training, and support inhibiting the utilization of these same technologies in advancing African scholarly publishing efforts. This study establishes the high level of energy and excitement among journals editors, librarians, and IT administrators about the compelling new possibilities offered by new digital technologies. Drawing on what has been learned in this study, recommendations are made for tapping into the full potential of these technologies in strengthening research capacity, improving the quality of research, reducing Africa’s isolation from the global scholarly community, and ultimately narrowing the information divide. ii PREFACE Ethics: Research associated with this dissertation was conducted with approval from the UBC Behavioural Research Ethics Board, ethical certificate number (H06- 80584) B06-0584. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................. ii PREFACE ............................................................................................................................ iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. xi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................ xii DEDICATION ........................................................................................................................ xiv CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY ............................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Research Questions .................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................. 6 1.5 Statement of Problem and Rationale for the Study ..................................................... 8 1.6 Research Design ....................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................... 14 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Historical Perspective ................................................................................................ 14 2.3 Higher Institutions and the Development of Scholarly Journals in Africa .................. 15 2.4 The Current State of Scholarly (Journal) Publishing in African Universities ............ 27 2.5 Current Trends in Numbers ....................................................................................... 28 2.6 Current Trends in Authorship and Editorial Process ................................................. 31 2.6.1 Trends in Authorship .................................................................................... 31 2.6.2 State of Editing/Peer Reviewing .................................................................. 37 2.7 The Research Libraries ............................................................................................. 41 2.7.1 Library Collections ....................................................................................... 43 2.7.2 Personnel in University Libraries ................................................................. 47 2.8 Donor Support and Capacity Building in African Libraries ........................................ 51 2.8.1 ICT Infrastructure ......................................................................................... 51 2.8.2 Improving Research Library Access and Resources ................................... 55 2.9 The Transition to Electronic Publishing ..................................................................... 58 2.10 Economics of Online Journal Publishing ................................................................... 65 2.11 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 70 iv CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS ......................................................................... 73 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 73 3.2 A Brief History of Communication ............................................................................. 76 3.3 Postcolonialism ......................................................................................................... 81 3.4 The Internet Opportunity ........................................................................................... 99 CHAPTER 4 METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................... 111 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 111 4.2 Research Design ..................................................................................................... 112 4.2.1 Research Method (Mixed-Mode Surveys and Workshop Discussion) ....... 112 4.2.2 Study Area, Population and Sample .......................................................... 117 4.3 Mode of Data Collection .......................................................................................... 122 4.3.1 Stage One: Contact Phase ........................................................................ 123 4.3.2 Stage Two: Response Phase .................................................................... 125 4.3.3 Questionnaires ........................................................................................... 125 4.3.4 Workshop Discussions ............................................................................... 127 4.3.5 Stage Three: Follow-Up Phase .................................................................. 132 4.4 Validity and Reliability ............................................................................................. 133 4.5 Study Limitations ..................................................................................................... 138 4.6 Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 140 4.6.1 Analysis of Workshop Discussion and Semi-Structured Interviews ........... 141 4.7 Summary of Sample and Survey Response Rates ................................................. 142 CHAPTER 5 THE CURRENT STATE OF JOURNAL PUBLISHING ................................ 145 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 145 5.2 Journal Basics ......................................................................................................... 146 5.2.1 Demographic Characteristics of Journals in the Study .............................. 146 5.2.2 Mode of Publication ................................................................................... 147 5.2.3 Journal Ownership and Publishing Type ................................................... 148 5.2.4 Academic Disciplines of Journals .............................................................. 152 5.2.5 Circulation, Price and Size of Journals .....................................................
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