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<p>The presence of research integrity (RI) policies in higher education institutions is a critical tool for good research governance. Despite the increased availability and visibility of RI policies at many universities around the world, the status of RI policies in African universities is unknown. We evaluated the prevalence of six key research integrity policies in African universities. We conducted a quantitative content analysis of research integrity (RI) policies at 283 African universities, selected based on the Scimago Research and Innovation Ranking 2024. University websites were searched, and policies were coded as "Yes," "Not Available," or "Not Retrievable." Using SPSS 29, and Excel functions to perform data analysis, we evaluate the prevalence and patterns of policy availability across different regions and institutions of Africa. Only 20.67% of universities had RI policies in place, while 78.86% did not have such policies. Furthermore, 0.47% of universities’ RI policies were not retrievable. Most of the available RI policies were written in English (87%), with smaller portions in Arabic (9%) and French (4%). Southern Africa universities had the highest availability of RI policies (58.64%), while Central Africa had the lowest (3.70%). Northern Africa, despite the largest sample representation (n = 149), had substantial gaps in policy availability, with a low rate of universities having RI policies in place (8.95%). There was a strong positive correlation between having a research misconduct/plagiarism policy and a research integrity and ethics policy, while a positive moderate correlation was found between having a data management, repository, sharing, and use policy and the allegation on research misconduct/whistleblowing policy. This study reveals that Research Integrity (RI) policies across African universities are notably limited, with significant gaps, particularly in Northern and Central Africa. Therefore, research administration in African universities must prioritize the development of comprehensive RI policies, accompanied by regular training programs for staff and students to ensure their effective application. Additionally, these policies should be made publicly accessible to stakeholders, thereby enhancing research governance and fostering a culture of integrity across African universities.</p>

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Public Availability of Research Integrity Policies in Leading African Universities

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年1月24日

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  • David Appiah,
  • Jamal-Deen Majeed Duut,
  • Comfort Adu-Gyebi

摘要

The presence of research integrity (RI) policies in higher education institutions is a critical tool for good research governance. Despite the increased availability and visibility of RI policies at many universities around the world, the status of RI policies in African universities is unknown. We evaluated the prevalence of six key research integrity policies in African universities. We conducted a quantitative content analysis of research integrity (RI) policies at 283 African universities, selected based on the Scimago Research and Innovation Ranking 2024. University websites were searched, and policies were coded as "Yes," "Not Available," or "Not Retrievable." Using SPSS 29, and Excel functions to perform data analysis, we evaluate the prevalence and patterns of policy availability across different regions and institutions of Africa. Only 20.67% of universities had RI policies in place, while 78.86% did not have such policies. Furthermore, 0.47% of universities’ RI policies were not retrievable. Most of the available RI policies were written in English (87%), with smaller portions in Arabic (9%) and French (4%). Southern Africa universities had the highest availability of RI policies (58.64%), while Central Africa had the lowest (3.70%). Northern Africa, despite the largest sample representation (n = 149), had substantial gaps in policy availability, with a low rate of universities having RI policies in place (8.95%). There was a strong positive correlation between having a research misconduct/plagiarism policy and a research integrity and ethics policy, while a positive moderate correlation was found between having a data management, repository, sharing, and use policy and the allegation on research misconduct/whistleblowing policy. This study reveals that Research Integrity (RI) policies across African universities are notably limited, with significant gaps, particularly in Northern and Central Africa. Therefore, research administration in African universities must prioritize the development of comprehensive RI policies, accompanied by regular training programs for staff and students to ensure their effective application. Additionally, these policies should be made publicly accessible to stakeholders, thereby enhancing research governance and fostering a culture of integrity across African universities.