Science in Africa: A Bibliometric Panorama Using PASCAL Database

Abstract

PASCAL, whose troublesome artefacts we highlight, also has its strong points (multidisciplinarity, codification of the topic of each article, better coverage of some countries). As other sources, it shows that the current decade is one of crisis in African research. However, developments are highly contrasted, depending on the discipline and the regions. To the north of Africa, the Maghreb is witnessing an unprecedented gain in power. Nigerian science is in quite the contrary situation, imploding. In the rest of Africa, classification of countries brings to evidence very striking changes in order. Basic science declines. The Agricultural and the Medical sciences are stagnating. Conversely, the Engineering sciences are growing, in particular to the North of the Sahara.