Publishing, Visibility & Impact: Strengthening African Research in the Global Knowledge Ecosystem

Virtual meeting held via Zoom from 3PM EAT

NASAC, in partnership with Taylor & Francis Group and TCC Africa, convened a virtual meeting on “Publishing Visibility and Impact: Strengthening African Research in the Global Knowledge Ecosystem.” The event brought together over 160 participants, including academics and researchers from across the continent.  The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from Dr. Jackie Kado, who introduced the session’s objectives and speakers, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the role of science in policymaking and development across Africa. The NASAC President, Prof. Ekanem Braide, then delivered the official opening remarks.

Prof. Braide welcomed participants to the meeting and outlined that the programme was anchored on a set of guiding principles. She explained that the meeting was conceived primarily as an educational platform, intended not to promote any single model or institution, but to provide practical insights that are broadly applicable across the African research ecosystem. She further noted that the discussions were framed with continental relevance, acknowledging that Africa is not a monolith. While research environments across the continent differ in capacity, resources, and priorities, they are also bound by shared challenges and opportunities that call for collective reflection and common solutions.

Prof. Braide emphasized the importance of presenting a balanced and transparent perspective on the global publishing ecosystem—one that recognizes both its opportunities and its constraints, particularly in relation to access, equity, and ethics. She also encouraged active participation, stressing that the meeting was not intended to be a one-way exchange, but rather a platform for open engagement where participants could ask questions, challenge assumptions, and contribute their perspectives and lived experiences. She underscored that NASAC views the strengthening of research systems as a fundamental necessity for Africa’s development, rather than merely a technical priority and highlighted that high-quality, visible, and impactful research is essential for evidence-informed policymaking, innovation, and sustainable development across the continent.

In closing, Prof. Braide expressed the hope that the meeting—being the first in a series of NASAC strategic engagements on publishing in Africa—would not only inform but also inspire new approaches, collaborations, and commitments to advancing African research on the global stage. The themes introduced would serve as a foundation for deeper and more focused engagements to be pursued throughout the year in collaboration with partner institutions.

Dr. Kado thanked the NASAC President for her insightful opening remarks and introduced the meeting speakers, namely Dr. Gagandeep Singh and Sam Nkosi from Taylor & Francis, as well as Nicole Mulaku from TCC Africa.

In her presentation, “Publishing from Africa: Realities, Barriers, and Strategic Pathways,” Nicole Mulaku outlined persistent challenges affecting African research publishing. These included fragmented local publishing systems, limited visibility, infrastructure and capacity gaps, funding constraints, policy and governance issues, and broader skills shortages. At the same time, she highlighted encouraging developments such as the growing open science movement and the increasing adoption of institutional repositories across the continent.

Nicole also showcased ongoing capacity-building efforts aimed at enhancing research excellence and visibility. These include training workshops on AI tools and collaborations with regional organizations. She proposed forward-looking strategies such as establishing sustainable funding models, investing in continuous capacity building, and promoting multilingual publishing to ensure inclusivity and wider participation.

Dr. Gagandeep Singh’s presentation, “Publishing in a Global Landscape: What African Researchers Need to Know,” focused on enhancing the global discoverability of African research while aligning outputs with the priorities of STISA 2034. He emphasized the importance of strategic journal selection, adherence to manuscript submission standards, and maintaining high ethical publishing practices.

Dr. Singh also cautioned against predatory journals and encouraged researchers to consider open access options where feasible. He highlighted useful resources such as AGOL, DOAJ, Think Check Submit, and COPE guidelines. Notably, he observed a steady increase in African research output, with publishers like Taylor & Francis now producing between 70 and 100 STEM books annually from Africa-based researchers.

 Sam Nkosi’s presentation, “Beyond the Data: Communicating Your Research Through Storytelling,” underscored the importance of translating complex data into compelling narratives. Drawing on Dr. Kate McDowell’s framework, he illustrated how storytelling enhances the traditional data–information–knowledge–wisdom pyramid by bridging the gap between raw data and actionable insights.

Using the example of sugar tax research in Zambia—an initiative that reached over 6,000 readers and informed policy discussions in South Africa and Botswana—he demonstrated how effective storytelling can significantly amplify research impact. He emphasized that impactful communication does not require lengthy outputs, but rather clarity, relevance, and accessibility.

Discussions explored alternative publishing pathways, particularly for transdisciplinary research and non-traditional outputs such as community-based and civil society work. Participants expressed concern about the limited visibility of such research, especially in African contexts where conventional metrics may not fully capture impact. In response, Taylor & Francis highlighted the Open Research Africa platform as a potential solution, noting its support for diverse research outputs—including preprints and conference proceedings—and its emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration.

The conversation also addressed the challenge of unpublished legacy research, particularly studies conducted 10–20 years ago. Speakers noted that such work can still be published if it meets current standards, including proper referencing, verified data sources, and alignment with appropriate publishing platforms. Related discussions touched on data sourcing, ethical publishing practices, and the use of artificial intelligence. Dr. Singh clarified that AI is not currently used in formal peer review processes; however, authors are required to disclose any use of AI tools in their work, with proper citation and transparency remaining essential—especially when revisiting older datasets. The importance of industry-led contributions in advancing knowledge in certain fields was also acknowledged.

TCC Africa highlighted ongoing infrastructure and capacity-building initiatives, including the Africa PID Alliance, aimed at strengthening research visibility and impact, particularly for Indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage. Participants also examined challenges faced by non-native English speakers in academic publishing, emphasizing the need to meet language standards while leveraging available support mechanisms such as editorial services, collaboration with English-speaking co-authors, and the responsible use of AI tools to improve manuscript quality. At the same time, there was a strong call to promote multilingual publishing and strengthen local publishing ecosystems to enhance inclusivity and broaden participation.

A key issue raised was the high cost of open access publishing in prestigious journals, which can limit the visibility of African researchers. Participants highlighted the availability of support mechanisms to mitigate these barriers, including country-specific waivers and partnerships with initiatives such as Research4Life and Knowledge Unlatched, as well as transformative agreements with library consortia. These efforts were identified as important steps toward making scholarly publishing more equitable and accessible. The discussion also reflected a broader shift in research assessment practices, moving away from reliance on journal impact factors toward evaluating the intrinsic merit and societal relevance of research, in line with the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

The webinar concluded with a strong emphasis on the need for coordinated, multi-stakeholder efforts to advance African research visibility and impact. Speakers underscored the importance of aligning research with STISA 2034 priorities, selecting reputable journals, embracing open access models, and leveraging partnerships to amplify reach. Ultimately, strengthening Africa’s presence in the global knowledge ecosystem will depend on sustained collaboration, investment in capacity building, and inclusive publishing practices.