African Research Research Articles

Die bedieningbehoeftes van Afrikaanssprekende universiteitstudente in Suid-Afrika

The ministerial needs of Afrikaans-speaking university students in South Africa. This article is the result of an empirical study conducted in the student congregations of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa and the Reformed Church in South Africa. The study has been done to answer the question: What are the miniserial needs of Afrikaans-speaking university students in South Africa? The research problem that necessitates this study is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the ministerial needs of Afrikaans-speaking university student members of the Reformed student congregations in South Africa. Recent research on student ministry to support student ministers and congregations in the South African context is scant. The research question is formulated to determine the ministerial needs of university students and the implications those needs have for ministry to university students. The goal of the research is to identify the ministerial needs of university students in South Africa and to empower the student congregations to minister to these students more effectively. From the research, three primary ministry needs have been identified: (1) the need for faith formation; (2) the need for mentoring; and (3) the need for a faith community.Contribution: The contribution of this article is original empirical research on the ministerial needs of Afrikaans-speaking university students in South Africa. The research contributes to the current void in South African research on student ministry.

Risky Business: Data-At-Risk in a Dynamic and Evolving Multidisciplinary Research Environment

At-risk data is an unfortunate research reality and can be present in all data formats in a range of research disciplines. This is defined as data that are at risk of loss due to various factors, including deterioration of the media, lack of accompanying documentation and data that exists in non-digital formats, which are often irreplaceable. Continued access to older data has a range of benefits. The factors that place valuable data at risk are therefore a cause for concern. This paper reports on a multi-method case study, comprising a survey and interviews. A web-based questionnaire was distributed to all research group leaders based at a leading South African research institute. This was followed by one-on-one interviews that were held with a sub-section of the same group of researchers. The combined findings of the two methods enabled a picture to be formed regarding factors that jeopardise research data, data rescue obstacles that the researchers encountered and the state of data rescue at the institute. Several recommendations and strategies are put forward to address identified risk factors and challenges. Suggestions include the launch of a data rescue project, awareness training around data at risk, involving the institute’s library and information services (LIS) section in data rescue and launching continued efforts to acquire a dedicated institutional data repository. It is also important to ensure that the scope of project risk management includes data considerations. The combined implementation of recommendations is anticipated to ensure the accessibility and usability of older at-risk data and reduce the chances of current and future data becoming compromised.

Descriptions of new Hypotrabala Holland, 1893 (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae: Lasiocampinae: Selenepherini) in the collections of the African Natural History Research Trust, with notes on allied genera and the description of a new genus

The Afrotropical lappet moth genus Hypotrabala Holland, 1893 is reviewed utilising specimens housed in the African Natural History Research Trust collections. The synthesis of morphological and DNA analyses has reconciled discrepancies in previous treatments of the genus and Hypotrabala is clearly delimited with implications on the nomenclature and taxonomy. The genus Epitrabala Hering, 1932 syn. n. is synonymised with Hypotrabala resulting in the following changes: Hypotrabala argenteoguttata (Aurivillius, 1909) comb. rev. is revived, H. horridula Tams, 1925 stat. rev. is removed from synonymy with Epitrabala nyassana (Aurivillius, 1909) and two taxa, H. horridula seydeli Tams, 1925 syn. n. and Epitrabala argyrostigma Hering, 1932 syn. n. are synonymised with it. Epitrabala nyassana is transferred to the genus Leptometa (comb. n.) as is Leptometa sanguicincta comb. n. (previously assigned to Hypotrabala), while Hypotrabala odonestioides Berio, 1937 is excluded from Hypotrabala although its generic placement remains uncertain. Based on the structures of the male eighth sternite, Hypotrabala fontainei stat. n. is raised to species status and a new genus Megatrabala gen. n. is described for the striking taxon M. regalis (Tams, 1953) comb. n. Furthermore, 19 new species are described: H. aurantiaca, H. cinereamargo, H. exquisita, H. extenuata, H. giustii, H. indefinita, H. igneata, H. lunda, H. lydiae, H. magnimacula, H. obscura, H. ophioglossa, H. pallens, H. pruinosa, H. retorta, H. smithi, H. tabithae, H. tamsi and H. volynkini spp. n. Certain incongruencies between the results of the barcode analyses and species concepts in this genus and Lasiocampidae more generally are discussed.

Bibliometric Analysis of Cyber Warfare Research in Africa: Landscape and Trends

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, cyber warfare has emerged as a prominent domain of warfare, with superpower nations actively demonstrating their capabilities in the cyberspace. This study posits that African countries exhibit a relative lag in research and development of cyber warfare capabilities, as evidenced by the absence of African nations in the National Cyber Power Index released by the Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs in 2022. To address this knowledge gap, this paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of cyber warfare research and development within the African continent. The analysis aims to illuminate research productivity, performance, science mapping, and key contributors at both national and institutional levels. It seeks to uncover thematic trends, pinpoint key research areas, and identify research connections within the African context. This research evaluates the African continent's research participation and development in the cyber and/or information warfare domain over the past 23 years. The analysis encompasses scholarly articles and conference proceedings published between 2000 and 2023, utilizing Scopus as the primary data source. Preliminary findings suggest that cyber warfare research in Africa is concentrated in a limited number of countries, with South Africa emerging as the leading contributor. A comparative analysis further reveals that developed countries generally outpace African nations in cyber warfare research and development, corroborating the rankings presented in the National Cyber Power Index (NCPI) and Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI).

Balancing Ethics and Culture: A Scoping Review of Ethico-Cultural and Implementation Challenges of the Individual-Based Consent Model in African Research.

Objective: This review explores the ethico-cultural and implementation challenges associated with the individual-based informed consent (IC) model in the relatively collectivistic African context and examines suggested approaches to manage them. Methods: We searched four databases for peer-reviewed studies published in English between 2000 to 2023 that examined the ethico-cultural and implementation challenges associated with the IC model in Africa. Results: Findings suggest that the individual-based IC model largely misaligns with certain African social values and ethos and subverts the authority and functions of community gatekeepers. Three recommendations were proffered to manage these challenges, that researchers should: adopt a multi-step approach to IC, conduct a rapid ethical assessment, and generate an African-centered IC model. Conclusions: A pluriversal, context-specific, multi-step IC model that critically harmonizes the cultural values of the local population and the general principles of IC can minimize ethics dumping, safeguard the integrity of the research process, and promote respectful engagement.

Adapting Theories of Pro-environmental Behaviours to Environmental Activism: A Review of Relevant Theoretical Frameworks

The aim of this paper is to review relevant environmental and behavioural theories relating to pro-environmental behaviours and to particularly propose their adaptation to environmental activism. Environmental activism, which refers to advocating and participating in environmental actions and behaviours to foster a sustainable environment, is largely understudied in Africa. By reviewing theories that can potentially explain why individuals may engage in or advocate for environmental actions, this study seeks to revive the interest of African researchers in issues relating to pro-environmental behaviours and, in particular, environmental activism. Theories help to expand understanding of any given phenomena. They can safely be referred to as the social scientist’s guide to social investigations as they greatly help in pioneering, predicting, expanding, and critiquing knowledge. The theories reviewed in this study include the Value Belief Norm Theory, Protection Motivation Theory, Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behaviour, and the Direct and Buffering Hypothesis of Social Support. This review paper concludes that for a more nuanced understanding of environmental activism and pro-environmental behaviours at large, integration and adaptation of several theories are necessary as they will collectively provide detailed insights into possible remedies for the human and technology-induced environmental issues that plague the world, especially Africa as a continent.

Why Are African Researchers Left Behind in Global Scientific Publications? - A Viewpoint.

Why Are African Researchers Left Behind in Global Scientific Publications? - A Viewpoint.

Resilience-based approach and management of human trafficking at the regions of natural disasters in Africa

Colin D. Robinson is an Adjunct Instructor with the eSchool of Graduate Professional Military Education, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama; a Researcher at the African Research Institute, Óbuda University, Budapest; and sits on the editorial board of Defence and Security Analysis. He has carried out defence reform research and work in East Timor, Somalia, Kenya, Liberia, and Malawi, worked at universities in Liberia and New Zealand, worked three times for the New Zealand defence establishment, in Georgia and Liberia for the United Nations, and with policy research institutes in London and Washington DC.

Forcing a square into a circle: why South Africa's draft revised material transfer agreement is not fit for purpose.

The South African National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC) recently released a final draft revision of the standard material transfer agreement (MTA) that was promulgated into law in 2018. This new draft MTA raises pertinent questions about the NHREC's mandate, the way in which the draft MTA deals with data and with human biological material, and its avoidance of the concept of ownership. After South Africa's data protection legislation, the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), became operational in mid 2021, the legal landscape changed and it is doubtful that the NHREC has a residual mandate to govern personal information in health research. Furthermore, data is dealt with in a superficial, throw-away fashion in the draft MTA. The position with human biological material is not substantially better, as the draft MTA fails to recognise that human biological material can contain pathogens, which has important legal and ethical ramifications that are not sufficiently addressed. A central problem with the draft MTA is its use of the term 'steward', and avoidance of the legal concept of 'ownership'. This is not only misaligned with the South African legal framework, but also fails to consider the ethical case for recognising ownership. Finally, a call to embrace decolonial thinking in health research underscores the importance of recognising ownership in order to foster the growth of the local bio-economy. Key recommendations to reshape the draft MTA include: Making use of the eventual revised MTA optional, and allowing it to evolve with input from scientific and legal communities; regulating the transfer of associated data in a separate data transfer agreement that can be incorporated by reference in the MTA; enhancing guidance on liability and risk management in respect of human biological material that contains pathogens; and, finally, adopting a decolonial approach in health research governance, which requires recognising the ownership rights of South African research institutions.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT LAWS IN CHILD EDUCATION: A USA AND AFRICAN REVIEW

This research explores the legal frameworks and implications of parental involvement in child education in both the United States and African countries. The study recognizes the crucial role that parents play in shaping a child's academic success and well-being and aims to compare and contrast the diverse approaches adopted by the USA and various African nations. In the United States, the analysis delves into the landscape of federal and state-level parental involvement laws, examining their historical development and their impact on fostering collaboration between parents, educators, and schools. The research investigates the effectiveness of these laws in promoting student achievement, addressing educational disparities, and ensuring equitable access to quality education across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Concurrently, the study extends its focus to the African context, acknowledging the unique socio-cultural, economic, and political factors that influence the implementation of parental involvement laws in different nations on the continent. With a diverse range of educational systems, the research seeks to identify commonalities and disparities in parental involvement strategies across African countries. It explores the extent to which cultural norms and governmental policies influence parental engagement in the educational process, and how this, in turn, impacts student outcomes. Furthermore, the research investigates the challenges faced by both the United States and African countries in implementing and enforcing parental involvement laws. It scrutinizes potential barriers, such as socioeconomic disparities, cultural differences, and infrastructural limitations, and explores strategies to overcome these obstacles. The comparative analysis presented in this study contributes to a nuanced understanding of the global landscape of parental involvement in child education. By shedding light on the successes and challenges faced by both the USA and African nations, policymakers, educators, and researchers can glean valuable insights to inform the development and refinement of parental involvement laws, ultimately striving for educational systems that empower parents and optimize the learning experiences of children worldwide.
 Keywords: Parental, Laws, Child, Education, USA, Africa, Review.

Understanding and applying gene-environment interactions: a guide for nutrition professionals with an emphasis on integration in African research settings.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are influenced by the interplay between genetics and environmental exposures, particularly diet. However, many healthcare professionals, including nutritionists and dietitians, have limited genetic background and, therefore, they may lack understanding of gene-environment interactions (GxEs) studies. Even researchers deeply involved in nutrition studies, but with a focus elsewhere, can struggle to interpret, evaluate, and conduct GxE studies. There is an urgent need to study African populations that bear a heavy burden of NCDs, demonstrate unique genetic variability, and have cultural practices resulting in distinctive environmental exposures compared with Europeans or Americans, who are studied more. Although diverse and rapidly changing environments, as well as the high genetic variability of Africans and difference in linkage disequilibrium (ie, certain gene variants are inherited together more often than expected by chance), provide unparalleled potential to investigate the omics fields, only a small percentage of studies come from Africa. Furthermore, research evidence lags behind the practices of companies offering genetic testing for personalized medicine and nutrition. We need to generate more evidence on GxEs that also considers continental African populations to be able to prevent unethical practices and enable tailored treatments. This review aims to introduce nutrition professionals to genetics terms and valid methods to investigate GxEs and their challenges, and proposes ways to improve quality and reproducibility. The review also provides insight into the potential contributions of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics to the healthcare sphere, addresses direct-to-consumer genetic testing, and concludes by offering insights into the field's future, including advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

A Collaborative Autoethnographic Exploration of Experiences of Research Psychology Interns

Navigating the art of theory and practice as three African female research psychology interns in South Africa, we worked in the areas of violence, injury and non-natural deaths which continue to plague the country, including the communities with which we are engaged for research purposes. Noting the scarcity of literature on research psychology internships, we used collaborative autoethnography to explore our lived experiences in relation to the work that we do. Allowing for the elucidation of our collective experiences from our own perspectives, we offer these reflections to inform improved management and coping mechanisms with the challenges and emotional distress that we experienced, and to explore our personal and professional development during our internship. We identified themes of internship characteristics, psychological distress from working with injury and violence data, personal and professional advancement, and collegiality and workplace support. In these themes, we contend that the characteristics and competencies interns need to be complemented with adequate workplace support and collegiality which can aid in coping, particularly in research that deals with sensitive topics.

Perceptions and beliefs of community gatekeepers about genomic risk information in African cleft research

BackgroundA fundamental ethical issue in African genomics research is how socio-cultural factors impact perspectives, acceptance, and utility of genomic information, especially in stigmatizing conditions like orofacial clefts (OFCs). Previous research has shown that gatekeepers (e.g., religious, political, family or community leaders) wield considerable influence on the decision-making capabilities of their members, including health issues. Thus, their perspectives can inform the design of engagement strategies and increase exposure to the benefits of genomics testing/research. This is especially important for Africans underrepresented in genomic research. Our study aims to investigate the perspectives of gatekeepers concerning genomic risk information (GRI) in the presence of OFCs in a sub-Saharan African cohort.MethodsTwenty-five focus group discussions (FGDs) consisting of 214 gatekeepers (religious, community, ethnic leaders, and traditional birth attendants) in Lagos, Nigeria, explored the opinions of participants on genomic risk information (GRI), OFC experience, and the possibility of involvement in collaborative decision-making in Lagos, Nigeria. Transcripts generated from audio recordings were coded and analyzed in NVivo using thematic analysis.ResultsThree main themes—knowledge, beliefs, and willingness to act—emerged from exploring the perspective of gatekeepers about GRI in this group. We observed mixed opinions regarding the acceptance of GRI. Many participants believed their role is to guide and support members when they receive results; this is based on the level of trust their members have in them. However, participants felt they would need to be trained by medical experts to do this. Also, religious and cultural beliefs were crucial to determining participants’ understanding of OFCs and the acceptance and utilization of GRI.ConclusionsIncorporating cultural sensitivity into public engagement could help develop appropriate strategies to manage conflicting ideologies surrounding genomic information in African communities. This will allow for more widespread access to the advances in genomics research in underrepresented populations. We also recommend a synergistic relationship between community health specialists/scientists, and community leaders, including spiritual providers to better understand and utilize GRI.

The biocultural heritage and changing role of indigenous yams in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa

Societal impact statementGlobal yam production is centred on West Africa, but there are significant knowledge gaps about farm‐level diversity across much of the region, and especially in Guinea. Although yam production is increasing in Guinea, in the longer term, varietal diversity and the sustainability of agri‐systems are at risk. Documentation of local crop diversity is essential as a baseline to understand trajectories of past and future varietal loss. This study utilises interdisciplinary approaches, which are needed to help understand the ways historic crop diversity is created and maintained within indigenous agricultural and food heritage systems, as well as the reasons for its loss over time.Summary Yams are important staple foods in many tropical and sub‐Saharan countries. The ‘yam belt’ extends from Guinea to western central Africa. However, yam cultivation is comparatively little researched or documented in Guinea, and the country is commonly not included within descriptions of key yam growing areas in Africa. Our study utilises ethnobotanic methods and plant specimen collections to fill these gaps in West African yam research. Interviews with over 70 farmers from six villages across the Kankan region of Guinea provide information on yam cultivation and diversity, and changes in living memory over the past 40 years. We present the analyses of ethnobotanical data from Haute‐Guinée on yam cuisine, and commercialisation, and on changes to the range of varieties grown over time. The annual cycle of indigenous yam agri‐systems remains a key part of rural life, food systems and economy. However, interviews revealed dramatic temporal changes over the last 40 years. Although yam production has increased, a narrow range of commercial cultivars is currently displacing the historically‐rooted local diversity. The expansion of yam cultivation is regarded locally as having relied on a shift to more unsustainable and extensive land use, and with herbicides and chemical fertilisers replacing intensive organic soil management. This has implications for research and development in sub‐Saharan agriculture for yams and other important native West African crops in the future.

Peer-reviewed research based on the relationship between South African cultures and biodiversity

Understanding past and present relationships of traditional cultures with biodiversity through biocultural research can help inform inclusive conservation policy and planning in a country seeking to undo past injustices such as South Africa. This review of 326 articles published between 1990 and 2019 maps the methodology employed in biocultural research, the focus of this research niche, ethical conduct and research recommendations to understand the state of biocultural research and make recommendations for biocultural research that is representative of South Africa’s diverse cultural landscape. This systematic review of original research articles indexed on the Scopus database found South African biocultural research to exclude Swati and Ndebele cultures while having an unevenly strong focus on plants, human health sciences, rural areas, and three of the country’s nine provinces. Some of this unevenness is likely because of utility of plants in human health and association of traditional practices with rural areas. Using a systematic review approach for this study not only ensured replicability but it also introduced a limitation of the results only being applicable to peer-reviewed articles indexed on the Scopus database.Conservation implications: Biocultural research’s strong focus on utilitarian use could encourage conservation policy that favours utilitarian use of wildlife. An even focus in biocultural research is recommended to avoid the knowledge pool for conservation policy being mostly focussed on utilitarian value.

The proposed Code of Conduct for Research in South Africa: despite good progress, unresolved issues remain

After a 3-year development process and several drafts, the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) has submitted its proposed Code of Conduct for Research (proposed CCR) to the South African Information Regulator for its consideration and approval. When approved, the proposed CCR will be an important legal instrument that will complement the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) in governing research activity in the country—including data sharing by South African researchers with their collaborators in other countries. The proposed CCR resolves important issues that were present in previous drafts. However, three important issues require attention: (1) how the identifiability of data subjects is to be determined in research data; (2) how research data can be repurposed for commercial use; and (3) how open access genomic databases should be established in the South African legal framework. In addition, the proposed CCR introduces a new issue: a legally unsustainable exception from POPIA application for genetic data. All these issues considered, the proposed CCR needs revision ahead of its approval by the Information Regulator. Recommendations are made on how to resolve the remaining issues.

African Indigenous Research to Decolonisation of African Universities’ Curricula

The phrase African indigenous research (AIR) depicts a novel research thrust that seeks a global entrance into the mainstream research assortment as a competitive area of study. A discourse on decolonisation attempts to reverse the gains of colonialism. Existing studies show that most (South) African universities’ curricula can be traced to the colonial era. A rereading of available scholarly conversations depicts some reluctance on the part of education authorities towards decolonising the (South) African universities’ curricula. It is in the context of the above that the present study engages conversations on decolonisation in order to establish a common ground that affords AIR a notable articulation on decolonisation of (South) African Universities’ curricula. The present research is anchored on a critical race theory (CRT) in which narrative inquiry as a methodological approach is utilised. Although the phrase African universities’ curricula is employed, the study will focus on the (South) African universities’ curricula as representative examples. The (South) African scenario is preferred as a case study due to the author’s familiarisation with (South) African universities as well as African decolonisation discourses. The study attempts to answer the following three questions (1) what motivated research conversations on decolonisation? (2) why is the study on decolonisation of the curricula in (South) African universities necessary? and (3) what is the global impact of decolonisation processes in (South) Africa?

The Role of Aerial Prospection for Monitoring and Preserving Cultural Heritage in Northeastern Africa

Anthropogenic and environmental processes present unique challenges for preserving cultural heritage in North Africa. Large parts of this region are characterised by unfavourable arid and semi-arid conditions and rapid changes to the landscapes caused by heightened regional development (e.g., urban expansion, road building, agricultural intensification, and socio-political conflicts). As a result, we are facing a fast-paced disappearance of heritage sites in regions that are still poorly understood. Following this, the utilisation of Earth observation data through aerial photographs and satellite imagery has emerged as an unmatched tool in the exploration of endangered archaeological heritage. Drawing on this context, this paper underscores the critical significance of incorporating digital research methods, such as remote sensing, GIS, or cartographic analysis, to ensure the evaluation and (digital) preservation of the historical sites along these vulnerable areas. Furthermore, our study seeks to provide new insights into data management and dissemination, fostering open research practices within North African archaeological research.

South African research contributions to Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 1973–2022

Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) is a globally recognised publication outlet for the field of Computer Science, including in South Africa. In this study, spanning from 1973 to 2022, we investigated the research participation of South African based authors in LNCS. The publication output and citation impact of these authors were compared to the global Computer Science and LNCS output. The authorship patterns and collaborative behaviour of South African LNCS papers were explored, and a keyword or topic analysis also conducted. Of the total of 518 662 LNCS papers published globally between 1973 and 2022, South African based researchers contributed 1150 papers (0.22%). The LNCS papers from South Africa exhibit a strong collaborative publication culture, with 1043 (91%) co-authored and 107 (9%) single-authored works. Local LNCS researchers prefer institutional collaboration (43%), followed by international (37%) and national collaboration (11%). Europe emerged as the most significant collaboration partner for LNCS researchers in South Africa. Of the 1150 papers, 836 (73%) had received citations, while 314 (27%) had not. On average, papers published by South African based authors received 6.05 citations, compared to the global LNCS average of 9.49 citations per paper. A keyword analysis revealed that the majority of papers by South African authors focus on artificial intelligence. The results indicate that, although LNCS serves as a reputable dissemination platform for Computer Science research output both globally and locally, South African authors should consider publishing more journal articles to build and improve their researcher profiles. Significance: The study shows that LNCS is the most frequent publication outlet for Computer Science researchers, globally and in South Africa. The study offers insight into the publication output, authorship patterns, collaborative behaviour and citation impact of South African based Computer Science researchers. Open data set: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.21397158.v32

“It was about making a new kind of slave”: corporeal sufferings of Afro-American woman in Megan Giddings’ Lakewood

Abstract The present article investigates the incapacitating bodily experiences of an unconsented African American research subject Lena Johnson in a Lakewood healthcare project by closely reading Megan Giddings’ novel Lakewood (2020). By Portraying the impact of various medical experiments that incarnate pernicious effects on Lena’s body, the deft fiction reminds the readers how the healthcare institutions in the US have been replete with the stereotypical racial beliefs. Afro-American literature while addressing the irrefutable presence of racial culture in the American society, has further emerged to portray the complex narrative experiences of black women in healthcare institutions. In this context, by drawing the theoretical postulates of Elizabeth Grosz and other theoreticians of varying importance, the article seeks to incorporate facets of corporeal feminism (ethical, ontological, and metaphorical dimensions) as its conceptual framework to examine the bodily intricacies and experiential agonies of Afro-American women in healthcare institutions.