The integration of African countries in international research networks

In Africa, the production of scientific knowledge in an international context has been widely studied over time. However, the existing literature lacks a deeper understanding of the integration of African countries into international networks at the global level. This enables the identification of strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of African countries in scientific production. Thus, we looked at the dynamics of international research collaboration (IRC) of African countries from the perspective of the evolution of IRC, the presence of African countries in international research networks, and the collaboration networks among African countries. We examined these perspectives through the co-publications in Natural Sciences (NS), Engineering and Technology (E&T), Medical and Health Sciences (M&HS), Agricultural Sciences (AS) and Social Sciences and Humanities (SS&H) over three periods (1990-1999, 2000-2009, 2010-2018). The study revealed the continuous integration of African countries into global networks, although this integration is higher in NS and M&HS. Today, African countries can contribute more to the exchange and creation of knowledge at the international level, and they have more opportunities for boosting their research networks, exchanging information, and exploring new scientific problems. Nevertheless, most African countries occupy a fragile position in these networks, especially in E&T, AS and SS&H. Concerning IRC between and within African regions, the results indicated weak inter/intraregional integration, especially in E&T, AS and SS&H.