4 - Scientific Content Creation and Dissemination: Opportunities for African Universities in Electronic Publishing
Corresponding Author(s) : Elisha R.T. Chiware
Africa Media Review,
Vol. 15 No. 1-2 (2007): Africa Media Review, Volume 15, n° 1 & 2, 2007
Abstract
Africa has made some strides in accessing the Internet over the last decade or so and it has managed to upload considerable information on to the Internet in the areas of business, information technology, connectivity and politics. But there is a missing link in scientific and technological information content creation and dissemination. Several proposals have been made to narrow the gap between developed countries and Africa in terms of uploading information on to the Internet. Besides the growing public information and the presence of commercial web, content generated from African universities is expanding. Internet connectivity in Africa and most of the developing world initially took root mainly in academic institutions and among academics. In some parts of Africa, universities were pioneer users of e-mail and Internet access and there is very little evidence that their interest in ICTs has waned; rather, it is growing. Most African
universities with full Internet connectivity have the potential of playing a critical role in content creation and dissemination through electronic publishing because of their research interests. This paper will address the problems that Africa currently faces in developing content for the Internet and in disseminating that information. The paper will look at institutions that have the potential for creating content for the Internet. It will focus mainly on universities and research institutions’ capacities to take on this role. The paper also addresses other issues of access like limited bandwidth, unreliable electricity and communication transmission services, lack of technical expertise, high costs, etc.
Keywords
Download Citation
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)BibTeX
- Oyinloye, A. M., 1998, ‘The Great Journals Crisis: An Africa Cri de coeur’, Lon- don, Logos, Vol. 9, No.1, pp. 34-36.
- Rebuck, G., 2004, ‘Guardian World Book Day Forum Speech’, 3 March, reported in The Guardian, Saturday 13 March.
- Sparc, 2004, ‘Open Access Newsletter’, 2 February, (www.earlham.edu/-peters/fos/newsletter/02-02-04.htm).
- Subotzky, G. and Cele, G., 2004, ‘New Modes of Knowledge Production: Peril or Promise for Developing Countries’, in P. T. Zeleza, and A. Olukoshi, eds., African Unviersities in the 21st Century, Dakar: CODESRIA, pp. 341-362.
- Teferra, D., 1998, ‘The Significance of Information Technology for African Schol- arly Journals’, in P. G. Altbach and D. Teferra, eds., Knowledge Dissemination in Africa: The Role of the Scholarly
- Journal, Chestnut Hill, Mass: Bellagio Studies in Publishing, 8, pp. 39-62.
- UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, 2004, ‘Scientific Publications: Free for
- All?’, Tenth Report of Session 2003-4, (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cm select/cmsctech/399/399.pdf ) Accessed July 2004.
- Wafawarowa, B., 2000, ‘Legal Exceptions to Copyright and the Development of Safrican and Developing Countires’ Information Sector’, Paper delivered (as an APNET representative) at the UNESCO Infoethics Conference, Paris.
- Zell, H., 1998, African Journal Publishers in a Digital Envrionment, in Altbach, P. and Teferra, D., Knowledge Dissemination in Africa: The Role of Scholarly Journals. Bellagio Studies in Publishing, 8.
- Zell, H., 2003, ‘Digital Media and African Publishing: The Book and the Computer: Online Symposium, Book Culture at the Crossroads, (http://www.honco.net/ os/index_0310.html), Accessed November 2004.
- Zeleza, P., 1997a, Manufacturing African Studies and Crisis, Dakar: CODESRIA. Zeleza, P., 1997b, ‘Research Co-0peration within Africa’, in Academic Book Pro- duction and Distribution in Africa: Support from Nordic Countries, Report from a Conference at Christian Michelsen Institute, Bergen, 10-11 April, pp. 90-104.
- Zeleza, P. T., 1998, ‘The Challenges of Editing Scholarly Journals in Africa’, in P. Altbach and D.
- Teferra, Knowledge Dissemination in Africa: The Role of the Scholarly Journal, Chestnut Hill: Bellagio Studies in Publishing, 8.
References
Oyinloye, A. M., 1998, ‘The Great Journals Crisis: An Africa Cri de coeur’, Lon- don, Logos, Vol. 9, No.1, pp. 34-36.
Rebuck, G., 2004, ‘Guardian World Book Day Forum Speech’, 3 March, reported in The Guardian, Saturday 13 March.
Sparc, 2004, ‘Open Access Newsletter’, 2 February, (www.earlham.edu/-peters/fos/newsletter/02-02-04.htm).
Subotzky, G. and Cele, G., 2004, ‘New Modes of Knowledge Production: Peril or Promise for Developing Countries’, in P. T. Zeleza, and A. Olukoshi, eds., African Unviersities in the 21st Century, Dakar: CODESRIA, pp. 341-362.
Teferra, D., 1998, ‘The Significance of Information Technology for African Schol- arly Journals’, in P. G. Altbach and D. Teferra, eds., Knowledge Dissemination in Africa: The Role of the Scholarly
Journal, Chestnut Hill, Mass: Bellagio Studies in Publishing, 8, pp. 39-62.
UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, 2004, ‘Scientific Publications: Free for
All?’, Tenth Report of Session 2003-4, (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cm select/cmsctech/399/399.pdf ) Accessed July 2004.
Wafawarowa, B., 2000, ‘Legal Exceptions to Copyright and the Development of Safrican and Developing Countires’ Information Sector’, Paper delivered (as an APNET representative) at the UNESCO Infoethics Conference, Paris.
Zell, H., 1998, African Journal Publishers in a Digital Envrionment, in Altbach, P. and Teferra, D., Knowledge Dissemination in Africa: The Role of Scholarly Journals. Bellagio Studies in Publishing, 8.
Zell, H., 2003, ‘Digital Media and African Publishing: The Book and the Computer: Online Symposium, Book Culture at the Crossroads, (http://www.honco.net/ os/index_0310.html), Accessed November 2004.
Zeleza, P., 1997a, Manufacturing African Studies and Crisis, Dakar: CODESRIA. Zeleza, P., 1997b, ‘Research Co-0peration within Africa’, in Academic Book Pro- duction and Distribution in Africa: Support from Nordic Countries, Report from a Conference at Christian Michelsen Institute, Bergen, 10-11 April, pp. 90-104.
Zeleza, P. T., 1998, ‘The Challenges of Editing Scholarly Journals in Africa’, in P. Altbach and D.
Teferra, Knowledge Dissemination in Africa: The Role of the Scholarly Journal, Chestnut Hill: Bellagio Studies in Publishing, 8.