Open access publication of public health research in African journals
There are many claims to the benefits of open access publishing in general and for Africa in particular. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of scholarly journals expected to publish articles on public health from a number of African countries. Using African Journals Online and African...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Insights: The UKSG Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://account.insights.uksg.org/index.php/up-j-i/article/view/605 |
| _version_ | 1827965738154983424 |
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| author | Dominic Dankwah Agyei Modibo Sangare Felix Emeka Anyiam Pasipanodya Ian Machingura Ruredzo Janith Warnasekara Richard F. Heller |
| author_facet | Dominic Dankwah Agyei Modibo Sangare Felix Emeka Anyiam Pasipanodya Ian Machingura Ruredzo Janith Warnasekara Richard F. Heller |
| author_sort | Dominic Dankwah Agyei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There are many claims to the benefits of open access publishing in general and for Africa in particular. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of scholarly journals expected to publish articles on public health from a number of African countries. Using African Journals Online and African Index Medicus, 174 journals from 13 African countries were identified. The six countries above the group’s median gross domestic product (GDP) published 145 journals, while the seven countries at or below the median GDP published 29 journals. Two thirds of the journals were freely available to download, but only a third had a Creative Commons licence, and most were not indexed. Around half of the journals levied full article processing charges (APCs) – journals from countries at median GDP or below were less likely to charge APCs than those from countries above the median GDP. One of the key findings is that only a few journals were indexed, limiting the ability of potential readers to find the results of research performed in local settings. The results suggest a need to assist journals and researchers to make the work they publish more accessible to the audience who might want to use the results. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:39:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-053b20214a4d4fd7b87693ebd2110c8b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2048-7754 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:39:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insights: The UKSG Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-053b20214a4d4fd7b87693ebd2110c8b2023-04-17T07:28:20ZengUbiquity PressInsights: The UKSG Journal2048-77542023-03-01366610.1629/uksg.605487Open access publication of public health research in African journalsDominic Dankwah Agyei0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1703-8203Modibo Sangare1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7519-918XFelix Emeka Anyiam2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2774-7406Pasipanodya Ian Machingura Ruredzo3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4750-8461Janith Warnasekara4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6554-6851Richard F. Heller5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3161-5967Assistant Librarian, The University Library, University of Health and Allied Sciences, HoAssociate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, University of BamakoResearch and Data Scientist, Centre for Health Development, University of Port HarcourtSenior Lecturer and Chairman, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of ZimbabweSenior Lecturer, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri LankaEmeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Newcastle, AU; Emeritus Professor of Public Health, University of ManchesterThere are many claims to the benefits of open access publishing in general and for Africa in particular. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of scholarly journals expected to publish articles on public health from a number of African countries. Using African Journals Online and African Index Medicus, 174 journals from 13 African countries were identified. The six countries above the group’s median gross domestic product (GDP) published 145 journals, while the seven countries at or below the median GDP published 29 journals. Two thirds of the journals were freely available to download, but only a third had a Creative Commons licence, and most were not indexed. Around half of the journals levied full article processing charges (APCs) – journals from countries at median GDP or below were less likely to charge APCs than those from countries above the median GDP. One of the key findings is that only a few journals were indexed, limiting the ability of potential readers to find the results of research performed in local settings. The results suggest a need to assist journals and researchers to make the work they publish more accessible to the audience who might want to use the results.https://account.insights.uksg.org/index.php/up-j-i/article/view/605open publishingpublic healthafricagross domestic productarticle processing charges |
| spellingShingle | Dominic Dankwah Agyei Modibo Sangare Felix Emeka Anyiam Pasipanodya Ian Machingura Ruredzo Janith Warnasekara Richard F. Heller Open access publication of public health research in African journals Insights: The UKSG Journal open publishing public health africa gross domestic product article processing charges |
| title | Open access publication of public health research in African journals |
| title_full | Open access publication of public health research in African journals |
| title_fullStr | Open access publication of public health research in African journals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Open access publication of public health research in African journals |
| title_short | Open access publication of public health research in African journals |
| title_sort | open access publication of public health research in african journals |
| topic | open publishing public health africa gross domestic product article processing charges |
| url | https://account.insights.uksg.org/index.php/up-j-i/article/view/605 |
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