5 - Peer Review Mechanisms: The Bottleneck of Academic Freedom
Corresponding Author(s) : Elizabeth Ayalew
Journal of Higher Education in Africa,
Vol. 9 No. 1-2 (2011): Journal of Higher Education in Africa: Special Issue on Academic Freedom in Africa
Abstract
Academic freedom in higher education institutions (HEIs) entails not only the protection of the rights of faculty to teach and of students to learn, but also the freedom to create and disseminate knowledge. The literature, especially in Africa, mainly portrays the violation of academic freedom due to external interference into universities’ autonomous functioning. This article, by focusing on academic publications and the peer review process, how- ever, suggests that the internal governance of HEIs also has equally serious implications on academic freedom. By analyzing data collected from editors, reviewers and authors of three research institutions that publish journals at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, this article reveals that peer review mecha- nisms in academic institutions constrain the production of knowledge and hence undermine academic freedom.
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- Altbach, P.G., 2005, ‘Academic Freedom: International Challenges and African Realities’, Journal of Higher Education in Africa, Vol. 3, No. 1: pp. 17-34.
- Altbach, P.G., 2001, ‘Academic Freedom: International Realities and Challenges’,Higher Education, Vol. 41, No. 1/2: 205-219.
- Assefa, T., ed., 2008, ‘Academic Freedom in Ethiopia – Perspectives of Teaching Personnel’, Forum for Social Studies, Addis Ababa.
- Baez, B., 2002, ‘Confidentiality and Peer Review: The Paradox of Secrecy in Academia’, The Review of Higher Education, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 163-183.
- Bentley, K. Habib, A. and Morrow, S., 2006, ‘Academic Freedom, Institutional Au- tonomy and the Corporatized University in Contemporary South Africa’, Re- search Report HEIAAF No. 3. Council for Higher Education: Pretoria.
- Biggs M., 1990, ‘The Impact of Peer Review on Intellectual Freedom’, Library Trends, Vol. 39, Nos. 1 & 2, pp. 145-67.
- Botsford, D., 1998, ‘Academic Freedom and the idea of a University’, Educational Notes, No. 27, Available at www.libertarian.co.uk/lapubs/educn/educn027.pdf. Accessed on June 22 2010.
- Chojnacki, S., 1990, ‘Some Notes on the Occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies’, in Pankhurst, R. and Beyene, T., eds., Proceed- ings of the Symposium of the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the IES, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa.
- Dougherty P.J., 2005, ‘Comments on “‘Peer review, Politics and Pluralism” by Chris Harrison’, Environmental Science and Policy 7, 357-368, and Environmental Science and Policy, 8, pp.191-193.
- Network for Education and Academic Rights (NEAR), 2003, ‘The State of Academic Freedom in Sub-Saharan Africa within the Context of 1997 Recommendations Concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel and the 1990
- Kampala Declarations on Intellectual Freedom’, Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/education/admin/ev.php?URL_ID=33641&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201&reload=1094806641.
- Pankhurst, R. and Beyene, T.,1990, Proceedings of the Symposium of the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the IES, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa.
- Rojewski, J.W. and Domenico, D.M., 2004, ‘The Art and Politics of Peer Review’, Journal of Career and Technical Education, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 41-54.
- Sall, E., Mbata, A., and Mangu, B., 2005, ‘The Quest for Academic Freedom Today’, Journal of Higher Education in Africa, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp.1-16.
- The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Program and Policy Council, 2007, ‘Academic Freedom in the 21st Century College and University’, Available at: www.freeexchangeoncampus.org.
- The Dar es Salaam Declaration on Academic Freedom and Social Responsibility of Academics, 19th April 1990. Unpublished.
- The Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility, 1990, Available at: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/Africa/KAMDOK.htm.
- The World Bank, 2002, ‘Constructing Knowledge Societies: New Challenges for Tertiary Education’, Washington D.C.: The World Bank.
- UN, 1988, ‘The Lima Declaration on Academic Freedom and Autonomy of Institu- tions of Higher Education’, NY: UN, Unpublished.
- UNESCO, 1997, ‘Recommendation Concerning the Status of Higher Education Teach- ing Personnel’, Available at: http://portal.unesco/en/ev.php-URL_ID=131448.
- Yimam, B., 2008, ‘Academic Freedom at Addis Ababa University: An Overview of its Past and Current Experiences’, in Assefa, T., ed., 2008, Academic Freedom in Ethiopia – Perspectives of Teaching Personnel, pp: 19-62, Forum for Social Studies, Addis Ababa.
- Zeleza, P.T., 2003, ‘Academic Freedom in the Neo-Liberal Order: Governments, Globalization, Governance and Gender’, Journal of Higher Education in Africa, Vol.1, No.1: 149-194.
References
Altbach, P.G., 2005, ‘Academic Freedom: International Challenges and African Realities’, Journal of Higher Education in Africa, Vol. 3, No. 1: pp. 17-34.
Altbach, P.G., 2001, ‘Academic Freedom: International Realities and Challenges’,Higher Education, Vol. 41, No. 1/2: 205-219.
Assefa, T., ed., 2008, ‘Academic Freedom in Ethiopia – Perspectives of Teaching Personnel’, Forum for Social Studies, Addis Ababa.
Baez, B., 2002, ‘Confidentiality and Peer Review: The Paradox of Secrecy in Academia’, The Review of Higher Education, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 163-183.
Bentley, K. Habib, A. and Morrow, S., 2006, ‘Academic Freedom, Institutional Au- tonomy and the Corporatized University in Contemporary South Africa’, Re- search Report HEIAAF No. 3. Council for Higher Education: Pretoria.
Biggs M., 1990, ‘The Impact of Peer Review on Intellectual Freedom’, Library Trends, Vol. 39, Nos. 1 & 2, pp. 145-67.
Botsford, D., 1998, ‘Academic Freedom and the idea of a University’, Educational Notes, No. 27, Available at www.libertarian.co.uk/lapubs/educn/educn027.pdf. Accessed on June 22 2010.
Chojnacki, S., 1990, ‘Some Notes on the Occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies’, in Pankhurst, R. and Beyene, T., eds., Proceed- ings of the Symposium of the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the IES, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa.
Dougherty P.J., 2005, ‘Comments on “‘Peer review, Politics and Pluralism” by Chris Harrison’, Environmental Science and Policy 7, 357-368, and Environmental Science and Policy, 8, pp.191-193.
Network for Education and Academic Rights (NEAR), 2003, ‘The State of Academic Freedom in Sub-Saharan Africa within the Context of 1997 Recommendations Concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel and the 1990
Kampala Declarations on Intellectual Freedom’, Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/education/admin/ev.php?URL_ID=33641&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201&reload=1094806641.
Pankhurst, R. and Beyene, T.,1990, Proceedings of the Symposium of the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the IES, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa.
Rojewski, J.W. and Domenico, D.M., 2004, ‘The Art and Politics of Peer Review’, Journal of Career and Technical Education, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 41-54.
Sall, E., Mbata, A., and Mangu, B., 2005, ‘The Quest for Academic Freedom Today’, Journal of Higher Education in Africa, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp.1-16.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Program and Policy Council, 2007, ‘Academic Freedom in the 21st Century College and University’, Available at: www.freeexchangeoncampus.org.
The Dar es Salaam Declaration on Academic Freedom and Social Responsibility of Academics, 19th April 1990. Unpublished.
The Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility, 1990, Available at: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/Africa/KAMDOK.htm.
The World Bank, 2002, ‘Constructing Knowledge Societies: New Challenges for Tertiary Education’, Washington D.C.: The World Bank.
UN, 1988, ‘The Lima Declaration on Academic Freedom and Autonomy of Institu- tions of Higher Education’, NY: UN, Unpublished.
UNESCO, 1997, ‘Recommendation Concerning the Status of Higher Education Teach- ing Personnel’, Available at: http://portal.unesco/en/ev.php-URL_ID=131448.
Yimam, B., 2008, ‘Academic Freedom at Addis Ababa University: An Overview of its Past and Current Experiences’, in Assefa, T., ed., 2008, Academic Freedom in Ethiopia – Perspectives of Teaching Personnel, pp: 19-62, Forum for Social Studies, Addis Ababa.
Zeleza, P.T., 2003, ‘Academic Freedom in the Neo-Liberal Order: Governments, Globalization, Governance and Gender’, Journal of Higher Education in Africa, Vol.1, No.1: 149-194.