Journal impact factors and the crisis of scholarly communication in Africa

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to suggest ways of improving the quality of Nigerian journals so that they would have global visibility and impact. Design/methodology/approach -This is a literature-based opinion paper which examines the implication of evaluating Nigerian academics using journal impact factors, despite its limitations, particularly to African scholars. Findings -Revelations from available literature point to the fact that the use of journal impact factors is not an objective method of research evaluation, particularly in developing country like Nigeria. However, evaluation of research outputs remains critical in the overall socio-economic, scientific and technological growth of any society. The creation of institutional repositories that are compliant with open archives initiatives by the relevant institutions in Nigeria would to a very large extent address the problem of visibility of research outputs coming from the country. Practical implications -African scholars are disadvantaged by their work environment in the present global scholarly productivity. This paper proposes a number approaches to improve the quality and global visibility of Nigerian scholarly productivity so that journal impact factors should no longer be a parameter for research evaluation in the country. Originality/value -The originality of the paper lies in the strategies proposed for improving the quality of journals in Nigeria.

Barriers to Open Access uptake for researchers in Africa

“…Journal Impact Factors are often a poor means of assessing African research (Ezema, 2010a). Concerning indigenous knowledge, often cited as a potential driver for OA, "(scholars) are totally eclipsed based on the weight of their research work on a global scale, irrespective of their impact on their immediate dependent communities" (Nwagwu, 2010).…”