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Institutional sectors of ‘mainstream’ science production in Subsaharan Africa, 1970–1979: A quantitative analysis

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Abstract

The place of production of ‘mainstream’ scientific authors in Subsaharan Africa is examined in terms of institutional sectors for the period 1970 through 1979. Patterns of production of ‘mainstream’ scientific literature and the citation visibility of this literature are also examined, for a shorter period of time, in terms of institutional sectors. It is shown that the university and public sectors predominate in the production of ‘mainstream’ authors. These same sectors also assure more consistent intra-African visibility of research results than do other sectors. However, the growth of the university and public sectors appears to have slowed considerably since the mid-1970s. Research conducted within regional and subregional cooperative organizations declined dramatically during the decade. A growing emphasis on external interventions under multilateral (rather than bilateral) auspices is noted.

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References

  1. For instance, E. G. KOVACH, Country Trends in Scientific Productivity,Who Is Publishing In Science 1978, 33–40; J. D. FRAME, Francis NARIN and M. P. CARPENTER, The Distribution of World Science,Social Studies of Science 7 (1977) 501–516; I. ADAMSON, The Size of Science in Old Nigerian Universities,Scientometrics 3 (1981) 317–324; and Y. RABKINet al, Citation Visibility of Africa's Science,Social Studies of Science 9 (1979) 499–506.

  2. These countries, in descending order of scientific ‘size’, are Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Zaire, Malagasy Republic, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Botswana, Chad, Lesotho, Upper Volta, Mozambique, the Gambia, Togo, Mauritius, Congo, Liberia, Mali, Benin, Rwanda, Central African Republic, Niger, Gabon, Swaziland, Angola, Mauritania, Somalia, Burundi, and Guinea.

  3. For purposes of classification of institutions the following texts were helpful:The World of Learning Europa, London, 1978; Mary and Chen CHIMUTENGWENDE, Eds,Guide to World Science, v. 19: Central Africa, Hodgson, Britain, 1975; and UNESCO,National Science Policies in Africa Paris, UNESCO, 1974.

  4. Self-citations were eliminated from the population of citing authors.

  5. This definition is taken from FRAME et al, op. cit. J. D. FRAME, Francis NARIN and M. P. CARPENTER, The Distribution of World Science,Social Studies of Science 7 (1977) 502.

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  6. S. M. LAWANI, Citation Analysis and the Quality of Scientific Productivity,Bioscience 27 (1977) 31.

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  7. J. E. WOOLSTON, Information in the Service of Development, paper presented at the Symposium on Science and Technology in Development Planning, Mexico, 1979.

  8. W. O. AIYEPEKU, The Periodical Literature Component of Social Science Research in Ibadan,Nigerian Journal of Economic and Social Studies, 17 (1975) 41–59.

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  9. Jean-Louis BOURSIN, Le Français, Langue Scientifique, inJournal Officiel de la République Francaise, Document de l'Assemblée Nationale No. 2311, 1981, 285. My translation.

  10. The sectoral distribution of ‘mainstream’ authors in aggregate Subsaharan Africa is not radically different from the distribution in Québec. In both cases from two-thirds to three-quarters of all ‘mainstream’ scientific authors are in universities, from one-sixth to one-fourth are in the public sector, and two or three percent are affiliated with commercial organizations. The principle difference in sectoral distribution of ‘mainstream’ authors is that in Africa, at least one-seventh of all authors belong to international organizations, whereas this sector hardly exists in Québec.

  11. For a presentation and discussion of this methodology see D. de SOLLA PRICE, The Analysis of Scientometric Matrices for Policy Implications,Scientometrics 3 (1981) 47–54.

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  12. This residual category accounted for about three percent of the population of publications.

  13. For a description of how an adverse economic environment has affected research in one African state, see J. HANLON, Ghana: Science Hangs on Amid Chaos,Nature 279 (17 May 1979) 182–184.

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  1. Institute d'histoire et de sociopolitique des sciences, Université de Montréal, Canada

    C. H. Davis

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  1. C. H. Davis
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Davis, C.H. Institutional sectors of ‘mainstream’ science production in Subsaharan Africa, 1970–1979: A quantitative analysis. Scientometrics 5, 163–175 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02095626

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