The State of Inclusion of African Researchers in Global Development Research
Overview
Research on the participation, collaboration, and equity of African scholars in global development research agendas.
Research Objectives
Document the current state of inclusion of African researchers in global development research publications and funding
Analyse structural barriers preventing African researchers from leading and co-authoring global development research
Examine power dynamics in research partnerships between African and Northern institutions
Develop recommendations for funders, journals, and research institutions to advance equitable research inclusion
Methodology
The study combined a systematic bibliometric analysis of authorship patterns in leading development economics and policy journals with a survey of African researchers and qualitative interviews with researchers, journal editors, and programme officers at major development research funders. Network analysis mapped collaboration patterns and identified structural inequities in co-authorship and funding flows.
Key Findings
African researchers remain significantly underrepresented as lead and corresponding authors in high-impact development research journals despite the research being conducted predominantly in African contexts. Structural barriers including limited research infrastructure, visa constraints on international collaboration, and inequitable data ownership practices were identified as key drivers. Funders and institutions with explicit African researcher leadership requirements showed measurably better inclusion outcomes. The research informed global discussions on research equity at the CGIAR and IDRC levels.
Request the full research reportThematic Areas
More Projects
View all →Leveraging Contract Farming to Improve Refugee Resilience in Uganda
AWinERA Africa Ltd
Evaluation of NUSAF3 Economic Inclusion Interventions
NUSAF, World Bank
Gamified Savings as a Problem Gambling Intervention
Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA)