Feature Episode: Regional Open Science Dialogue in Southern Africa Day 1 Part 5

Mazungumzo - African Scholarly Conversations

This episode culminates in interactive discussions on incentivization and research assessment at the Southern Africa Regional Open Science Dialogue held at the University of Pretoria in April 2023. The participants contributed their thoughts and ideas on practical actions that governments, researchers and academic institutions should take on rewards and incentives, answering the following questions:

• How should governments define rewards and incentives?
• What are the practical actions Higher Education leadership should take on rewards and incentives?
• What practical actions should governments take on rewards and incentives for researchers who adopt open science?
• As an academic, if I publish Open Access, what benefit should I get from it?
• Is Open Science in Southern Africa now a measurable criterion for research excellence, and can it be replicated in the wider continent?

Episode Highlights:

(00:02:12) Ms. Joy Owango, the executive director of the Training Centre in Communication invites the participants to dive into dynamic discussions on policy incentivization. Online and in-person attendees collaboratively articulate expectations, sharing views on rewards, leadership actions, and academic benefits. After group discussions, she invites Mr. Lazarus, Director of Scholarly Communication to present group one`s lively discussion on the topic

(00:05:47) Mr. Lazarus Matizirofa, the Director of Scholarly Communication at the University of Pretoria discusses in response to the questions on a need for governments to have a structure in rewarding researchers. He emphasizes the need for government support in structuring open science and access initiatives, especially in universities, as they currently lack robust backing. Establishing standardized open repositories and tools is seen as crucial for achieving Open Science goals in Africa and ensuring the visibility and accessibility of research outputs.

(00:10:31) Mr. Nabil Ksibi, the Engagement Lead at ORCID emphasizes rewarding researchers by urging governments to subsidize Article Processing Charges (APCs) alongside researchers' library contributions. Additionally, he stresses revitalizing trust in local journals through equity-focused editorial boards. Rather than redefining incentives, the focus is on boosting community engagement at a national level, elevating local journals' prominence in scholarly discussions and the broader research landscape.

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Owango, J., Kupe, T., Mchunu, N., Wanyenze, R., Veldsman, S., Shahungu, M., … Nxomani, C. (2023). Regional Open Science Dialogue in Southern Africa. TCC Africa. Retrieved from https://tccafrica.pubpub.org/pub/hqzpi08k