Workshop discusses problems African scientists have in publishing their research

Abstract

Geoscientists from developing nations often encounter multiple obstacles in disseminating the results of their research to fellow scientists in other countries. Some of these obstacles as they pertain specifically to researchers from West Africa and proposals to overcome them were discussed as a component of a recent three‐day workshop. (However, these obstacles can be safely assumed to affect many geoscientists from developing countries, and from countries whose economies are in transition.)The purpose of the workshop, held in Washington, D.C. on July 27–29, was to examine scientific and social issues associated with climate variability and change in West Africa. It was attended by atmospheric scientists, and by some participants in the ocean sciences, from Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, and the United States, representing universities, research laboratories, and meteorological services. The common thread among them was active involvement in weather‐ and climate‐related research in West Africa.