The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) has partnered with information analytics firm Elsevier to create a new pan-African, peer-reviewed, open access scientific journal, that will provide African researchers with a platform to reach audiences outside of the continent.
The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), in partnership with Elsevier, launched ‘Scientific African’, as the journal will be called, at the Next Einstein Forum Global Gathering 2018 being held in Kigali, Rwanda, according to Al Jazeera.
The partnership is aimed at providing editorial expertise, infrastructure and a capacity building engine for the next generation of African researchers, giving them the global reach that they have thus far been lacking.
Africa currently provides less than one percent of all global research, according to Elsevier, and the launch of this journal is a step towards increasing that statistic in Africa’s favor.
Elsevier’s existing journal infrastructure and expertise in publishing research across a wide range of scientific disciplines will be put to use in ensuring that Scientific African reaches a global community of readers.
Thierry Zomahoun, president and CEO of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, and founder and chair of the Next Einstein Forum, explained the importance of the new scientific journal.
“Scientific African is central to the Next Einstein Forum’s vision of propelling Africa onto the global scientific stage. What better way to do this then by actively publishing the groundbreaking discoveries and excellent research of African scientists?” said Zomahoun, according to a press release.
“The NEF is committed to promoting scientific excellence and collaboration in Africa. We believe the two go hand-in-hand to improve scientific output and outcomes and we are happy that Scientific African will be led by the NEF’s brilliant Community of Scientists,” he added.
Despite the fact that Africa produces less than one percent of global research, it is the region with the fastest growing research production, 38.6 percent over a five-year period between 2012 and 2016, while the number of African authors is growing at 43 percent over that same period, according to research from Elsevier.
Ron Mobed, Elsevier CEO, said that his company was working to increase visibility for the growing African research community.
“Through the efforts of both Elsevier and the Elsevier Foundation, we are committed to building African capacity in research. Scientific African is a state of the art platform, which will complement national and regional efforts to increase visibility and provide cohesion for the African research community,” said Mobed in the press release.
Scientific African will publish peer-reviewed original research from a variety of scientific disciplines, focusing on areas of importance to African scientists, citizens, and policymakers, while it will also publish reviews, editorials, and invited perspectives or critical policy papers on occasion.
