Abstract
Our paper discusses various features of research excellence in Africa, framed within the context of African science granting councils and pan-African research excellence initiatives. Our survey, collecting responses from 106 researchers and research coordinators across Africa, highlights the diversity of opinions and preferences with regards to Africa-relevant dimensions of research excellence and related performance indicators. The results of the survey confirm that research excellence is a highly multidimensional concept. Our analysis shows how some of those dimensions can be operationalised into quantifiable indicators that may suit evidence-based policy discourses on research quality in Africa, as well as research performance assessments by African science granting councils. Our indicator case study, dealing with the top 1% most highly cited research publications, identifies several niches of international-level research excellence in the African continent while highlighting the role of scientific cooperation as a driving force. To gain a deeper understanding of research excellence in Africa, it is important to take into account the practical challenges faced by researchers and research funding agencies to align and reconcile socioeconomic interests with international notions of excellence and associated research performance indicators. African research excellence should be customised and contextualised in order to be responsive to African needs and circumstances.
Highlights
The aims of this research project was to help African science granting councils to better understand the notion of Research excellence (RE) from an “assessment and evaluation” perspective
There is too much at stake nowadays to rely on intuition only; we need transferable and convincing evidence of RE in Africa
Our evidence-based analysis highlights under which conditions this ambiguous, multidimensional concept of RE can be successfully operationalized in order to transcend above the ‘buzzword’ level in policy discourses on research quality in Africa
Summary
Our paper discusses various features of research excellence within Africa, which we frame within the context of government research initiatives, science granting councils and other public sector funding agencies. Our survey, collecting responses from 106 researchers and research coordinators throughout sub-Saharan Africa, highlights the diversity of opinions and preferences with regards to Africa-relevant dimensions of research excellence and related performance indicators. The results of the survey confirm that research excellence is a highly multidimensional concept that ought to be contextualised in order to be responsive and useful to beneficiary communities. Further analysis shows how some of those dimensions can be operationalised into quantifiable indicators that may suit evidence-based policy discourses on research quality in Africa, as well as research performance assessments by African science granting councils of other research funding agencies. It is important to take into account the complementarities and tensions that emerge from conceptual and analytical distinctions between ‘African excellence’ and ‘global excellence’
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