Category Archives: oa.zimbabwe

Management and maintenance of research data by researchers in Zimbabwe | Emerald Insight

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Abstract:  Purpose

The concept of research data management (RDM) is new in Zimbabwe and other developing countries. Research institutions are developing research data repositories and promoting the archiving of research data. As a way of creating awareness to researchers on RDM, the purpose of this paper is to determine how researchers are managing their research data and whether they are aware of the developments that are taking place in RDM.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey using a mixed method approach was done and an online questionnaire was administered to 100 researchers in thirty research institutions in Zimbabwe. Purposive sampling was done by choosing participants from the authors of articles published in journals indexed by Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science. Interviews were done with five top researchers. The data was analysed using NVIVO. The results were presented thematically. The questionnaire was distributed using the research offices of the selected 30 research institutions. There was a 75% response rate.

Findings

The findings indicated that all the researchers are aware of the traditional way of managing research data. A total of 70% of the respondents are not aware of the current trends in RDM services, as they are keeping their data on machines and external hard drives, while 97.3% perceive RDM services as useful, as it is now a requirement when applying for research grants. Librarians have a bigger role to play in creating awareness on RDM among researchers and hosting the data repositories for archiving research data.

Practical implications

Research institutions can invest in research data services and develop data repositories. Librarians will participate in educating researchers to come up with data management plans before they embark on a research project. This study also helps to showcase the strategies that can be used in awareness creation campaigns. The findings can also be used in teaching RDM in library schools and influence public policy both at institutional and national level.

Social implications

This study will assist in building capacity among stakeholders about RDM. Based on the findings, research institutions should prioritise research data services to develop skills and knowledge among librarians and researchers.

Originality/value

Few researches on RDM practices in Zimbabwe were done previously. Most of the papers that were published document the perception of librarians towards RDM, but this study focused mainly on researchers’ awareness and perception. The subject is still new and people are beginning to research on it and create awareness amongst the stakeholders in Zimbabwe.

OpenEd20: Open Education Practices in Zimbabwe Hig…

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“This paper presents the concept of Open Education as it is practised in Zimbabwe Higher Education Institutions. The idea of investigating the concept of open education practices was to examine how the Zimbabwe Government is using the concept in widening access to higher education by the diverse population in an environment of melting economy and the era of COVID-19 pandemic. The study sought to examine the current practice of OEP in Zimbabwe, establish strategies to enhance open education that promotes equitable and inclusive higher education. The study was underpinned by the theory of constructivism. Data were generated through a structured review of all Zimbabwe registered universities, Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development (MHTEIST) and Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ). Zimbabwe Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are mandated to deal with the associated challenges of structural inequalities that hinder equal access to higher education. The current task of HEIs is to make all students access and participate fully in the creation and exchange of knowledge in an environment of melting economy, abject poverty and global pandemic. Except for one Open and Distance eLearning University, all the other universities use the face-to-face conventional mode, with some introducing regional campuses, weekend and evening classes as well as block release mode of teaching and learning. Open Education Practice (OEP), by contrast, has not been explicitly supported by Zimbabwe government initiatives, funding, or policy. The advent of COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the need for implementing OEP in an environment that is disconnected, with isolated examples of good practice that have not been transferred beyond local contexts. The study sought to examine the current practice of OEP in Zimbabwe, establish strategies to enhance open education that promotes equitable and inclusive higher education. A structured desktop review of all 24 Zimbabwe registered universities were conducted based on a range of indicators and criteria established by a review of the literature. The study was guided by constructivism theory. The review generated evidence of engagement with OEP using publicly accessible information via institutional websites. The criteria investigated strategies, policies, open educational resources (OER), infrastructure tools, platforms, professional development and support….”

Measuring the impact of institutional repositories in selected Zimbabwean State Universities – Open Repositories 2021

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“There is a dearth of empirical evidence in Africa to support the assertion that IRs have made research output easily accessible, visible and citable as acknowledged by some scholars. The study assessed the extent to which archived content is cited by publications indexed in Scopus. Five IRs in Zimbabwean state universities were analysed. Scopus cited references search facility was used to mine for documents citing IR content from 2014 to 2018. Results from Scopus searches were exported into text files then transported to excel workbooks for filtering and analysis. The impact of an IR was analysed from two perspectives; cited and citing documents characteristics. Results show that on average 8.6 documents per year were cited for all IRs combined within the 5 year period selected for the study. The most cited document types were thesis and dissertations followed by research articles. The University of Zimbabwe IR was found to be the most influential, with 34 citers affiliated in 12 countries. A new measure of IR research impact based on Scopus was put forward.”

Improving Zimbabwe’s capacities to effectively use open data on malnutrition

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“The need to provide better access to timely and accurate data for policy makers, farmers and the private sector to inform agriculture and nutrition interventions and activities, has been widely acknowledged as part of the solution to ending malnutrition.

It is with this in mind that the Zimbabwe Evidence Informed Policy Network, with support from the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN), implemented a 2-day workshop on open data for nutrition and agriculture. Held on 11-12 March 2019 in Harare, Zimbabwe, the objective of the workshop was to develop the skills and knowledge of agriculture and nutrition stakeholders to understand what open data is, the value and benefits of open data, and the intellectual and copyright issues around it….”

Improving Zimbabwe’s capacities to effectively use open data on malnutrition

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“The need to provide better access to timely and accurate data for policy makers, farmers and the private sector to inform agriculture and nutrition interventions and activities, has been widely acknowledged as part of the solution to ending malnutrition.

It is with this in mind that the Zimbabwe Evidence Informed Policy Network, with support from the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN), implemented a 2-day workshop on open data for nutrition and agriculture. Held on 11-12 March 2019 in Harare, Zimbabwe, the objective of the workshop was to develop the skills and knowledge of agriculture and nutrition stakeholders to understand what open data is, the value and benefits of open data, and the intellectual and copyright issues around it….”