Abstract
Background: Less than 2% of scientific publications originate in low-income countries. Transfer of information from South to North and from South to South is grossly limited and hinders understanding of global health, while Northern-generated information fails to adequately address the needs of a Southern readership.Methods: A survey of a new generation of health researchers from nine low-income countries was conducted using a combination of email questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Data were gathered on personal experiences, use and aspirations regarding access and contribution to published research.Results: A total of 23 individuals from 9 countries responded. Preference for journal use over textbooks was apparent, however a preference for print over online formats was described among African respondents compared to respondents from other areas. Almost all respondents (96%) described ambition to publish in international journals, but cited English language as a significant barrier.Conclusion: The desire to contribute to and utilise contemporary scientific debate appears to be strong among study respondents. However, longstanding barriers remain in place and innovative thinking and new publishing models are required to overcome them.
Highlights
Less than 2% of scientific publications originate in low-income countries
The idiom of ‘knowledge being power’ is applicable in a vast number of fields, yet rarely more so than in the context of academia, where the discussion of existing knowledge and the development and refinement of ideas forms the basis of academic work
Within the context of limited access to information and barriers to publishing, this reality adds another level to existing North-South inequalities; the ability of researchers from resource-poor countries to fully participate in global academia is limited by the availability of information, expertise, equipment and financial resources
Summary
Less than 2% of scientific publications originate in low-income countries. Transfer of information from South to North and from South to South is grossly limited and hinders understanding of global health, while Northern-generated information fails to adequately address the needs of a Southern readership. Within the context of limited access to information and barriers to publishing, this reality adds another level to existing North-South inequalities; the ability of researchers from resource-poor countries to fully participate in global academia is limited by the availability of information, expertise, equipment and financial resources. The academic publishing industry faces increasing risks from reduced library spending, demands to digitalise content and dissent from authors, libraries and academics regarding increasing subscription costs, which has led to falling revenue in recent years [2, 3] This has coincided with a demand for open-access journals, with subscription fees increasingly being replaced by alternative financing mechanisms, commonly an author-pays model (2, 4Á8).
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