Enhancing Research Visibility in Africa: Leveraging DOAJ for Open Access Publishing

Join us on October 24, 2024 at 11am WAT (UTC+1) // 12pm CAT // 1pm EAT for our webinar session featuring Ina Smith, the Planning Manager, Scholarly Publishing Unit, Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), South Africa & DOAJ Ambassador Southern Africa.

She’ll be speaking on the topic: Enhancing Research Visibility in Africa: Leveraging DOAJ for Open Access Publishing.

In this session, you’ll learn how African researchers and journals can increase their visibility and impact through DOAJ. 

What to Expect:

– How to get your research and journals listed in DOAJ

– The benefits of open-access publishing for African scholars

– Strategies for overcoming common challenges in open access

This webinar series is co-organized by: UbuntuNet Alliance and Access 2 Perspectives  as part of the ORCID Global Participation Program: https://info.orcid.org/global-participation-program/

We look forward to seeing you there!

Watch the recording

The recording of the session will be made available here:

The slides will also be made available here: https://africarxiv.ubuntunet.net/handle/1/20

Speaker’s profile

Ina Smith is a strong advocate for open science, especially in Africa and South Africa. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked at universities like the University of Pretoria and Stellenbosch University, focusing on repositories and journal publishing. She has a Master’s in Computer Integrated Education and has helped implement important projects like UPSpace and SUNScholar.

Since 2014, Ina has been the Planning Manager at the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). She is a DOAJ Ambassador for Southern Africa and led the review of the DOAJ Ambassador Programme in 2024. She also led the African Open Science landscape study and helped create the African Scientists Directory. Ina’s work in open science has earned her several awards, including the LIASA Librarian of the Year in 2016.

Questions to discuss during the Q&A session 

1. What are the key criteria for journals to be indexed in DOAJ, and how can African journals meet these standards?

2. How can researchers and institutions in Africa benefit from having their journals and articles listed in DOAJ?

3. What are some common challenges faced by African open access journals, and how can DOAJ help address these issues?

4. Can you share any success stories of African journals or researchers who have gained significant visibility and impact through DOAJ?

5. How does DOAJ support the development and sustainability of open access publishing in regions with limited resources, such as parts of Africa?