Southern scholars missing in top development journals

[NAIROBI] Authors and editorial board members from developing countries are underrepresented in elite journals in the field of development studies, anew studyhas found.

According to the study’s coathors, although some studies have accessed representation of authors from developing countries in the social sciences, little is known about those focusing on the field of development studies.

“Underrepresentation from the developing world in research means that we are losing a perspective including the lived experiences of scientists from the South.”

Jemimah Njuki, International Development Research Centre

The study published in the April issue of the欧洲发展杂志research finds that scholars from developing countries as members of editorial boards and authors play a marginal role inacademic knowledgeproduction.

Sarah Cummings, the study’s lead author, says that of 2112 articles identified, 43 per cent of the authors are located in the United States (US) and United Kingdom (U.K), 43 per cent are from other developed countries, while only 14 per cent are from developing countries. Also, 62 per cent of the 329 editorial members are located in the two developed countries (US and U.K.), 31 per cent are from other developed countries, while only 9 per cent are located in the developing countries.

“One of the most shocking things I established was that development studies field was doing a lot worse than the medical field,” Cummings tellsSciDev.Net.

The researchers collecteddata从编写文章的网络数据库和编辑董事会成员的期刊网站的开发研究领域的十个“著名期刊”。他们评估了2015年3月至4月的编辑委员会成员的隶属关系，并评估了2012年至2014年之间发表的文章作者。

“If we accept development is something which societies need to do for themselves, then development studies and the journals in this field can only make a limited contribution to development if they do not work at including colleagues from developing countries in theirresearchas equal partners and coauthors,” Cummings, an information and knowledge development consultant, explains.

据科学高级顾问伊丽莎白·马林卡拉（Elizabeth Marincola）说communicationsand advocacy at the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), limited access to journals especially in science research is a big contributor to the disadvantage of scientists in developing regions, especially in Africa.

Marincola说：“职业取决于发展中国家科学家与同事互动，提供资金小组和出版的机会。”

马林科拉（Marincola）告诉编辑的名称SciDev.Net, it provides an additional opportunity for exposure, which signals both healthy participation in the science community, and advancement of the editor as an expert.

She revealed that the AAS is developing a fully transparentpublishingplatform to enable and facilitate engagement and visibility for scientists in Africa and all over the world.

Jemimah Njuki, Kenya-based senior programme officer of the International Development Research Centre, adds: “Underrepresentation from the developing world in research means that we are losing a perspective including the lived experiences of scientists from the South”.

作者表示,多元化Njuki suggests more South-South research collaboration, increased资金to researchers from developing countries as one of the ways to elimination of bias in representation by the global north.

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.