Emmanuel Boakye talked about the African Reproducibility Network (AREN) and their activities, which are directed towards bridging the gaps in open science advocacy and adoption through workshops and the establishment of local communities of practice at universities and research institutes across Africa.
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Speaker’s profile
Emmanuel Boakye holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.
He is an African Open Science champion who has worked with organizations such as the Center for Open Science in the USA and the Association of African Universities (AAU). He was part of the panel of experts invited by the AAU to plan the 2022 Africa Universities’ Day Celebration dubbed, “Open Science: Bringing Equity to Research and Publishing” where he also presented on the “Global and Continental Perspectives of Open Science”.
He currently leads efforts to establish the African Reproducibility Network (AREN), a community-led initiative that seeks to bridge the gaps in open science advocacy and adoption through workshops and the establishment of local communities of practice at universities and research institutes across Africa.
Questions that were addressed during the session
What key initiatives or projects is AREN planning to execute in order to promote open science in Africa?
AREN has created a training program for Local Network Leads (LNLs) as part of our strategic efforts to bridge the gaps in open science advocacy and adoption in Africa. Using our three-level training model, the program aims at developing researchers who are well equipped to establish local communities of practice at their universities/research institutes. We believe the existence of LNLs can speed up the adoption of open science policies by universities and research institutes as LNLs will not only lead workshops within their communities but also provide support and actively engage in discussions with their institution in developing strategic action plans for implementing open science policies.
In the context of promoting open science in Africa, what challenges do you think AREN might face?
We believe the general lack of open science experts in certain HEIs and research institutes across Africa could impede our ability to establish local networks and grow organically within such communities. Institutional buy in could also be a challenge as institutions that have shown no prior engagement or commitment to open science and related issues may not be immediately keen to provide the necessary support for local networks to thrive or encourage participation in AREN’s activities.
How does AREN plan to address or overcome these challenges?
Our LNL training program solves the need for experts who will lead advocacy efforts in HEIs and research institutes across Africa while strategic partnerships with major stakeholders such as the Association of African Universities (AAU), African Academy of Sciences (AAS), various Research and Education Networks (RENs), etc. will encourage members of these groups to join our community or support our activities. Involving these groups in AREN’s plans and strategies will also ensure our solutions are not crafted in isolation and tailored to the needs of the broader research community, providing confidence and trust in what we offer and encouraging institutional buy in and support for our activities.
Considering the diversity of research disciplines and institutions across Africa, what plan does AREN have to ensure inclusivity and participation in promoting reproducibility and open science practices?
AREN’s community is open to researchers from all disciplines and institutions across Africa to create a diverse community and over 90% of our current community members are interested in starting niche-specific open science communities which will help bridge the gaps between open science and specific research disciplines. The selection criteria for our training program ensures we have a rich diversity of disciplines and broad representation of institutions across Africa to provide an opportunity for different perspectives and views to be brough to light during discussions and ensure subsequent solutions are tailored to meet the needs of specific research disciplines or institutions.
How African Researchers and Institutions Can Grow and Benefit from the AREN Session
Understanding the Importance of Research Reproducibility
The session helped African researchers see that reproducibility is at the heart of credible science. Emmanuel Boakye explained how ensuring that research methods and results can be independently verified strengthens the trustworthiness of African scholarship and promotes international collaboration.
Learning Best Practices for Open and Transparent Research
Researchers were introduced to practical tools and strategies for improving transparency, such as preregistration of studies, sharing protocols, and using open data repositories. These practices not only enhance scientific integrity but also boost the visibility and impact of African research globally.
Building Institutional Support for Open Science Initiatives
Institutions learned that supporting reproducibility efforts—through policies, training, and incentives—can enhance their research reputation. AREN’s approach encourages universities and research centers to create environments where open science practices are rewarded and normalized.
Connecting with a Network of Like-Minded Researchers
The session highlighted the value of AREN’s community-driven model, where African researchers can connect, learn from one another, share challenges, and collaborate across borders. Being part of AREN offers mentorship opportunities and joint project possibilities that strengthen both individual and institutional research capacities.
Addressing Challenges Unique to the African Research Environment
Emmanuel spoke about challenges like limited infrastructure, lack of open science training, and funding constraints. The session offered realistic solutions such as low-cost open-source tools and locally driven reproducibility workshops that can empower African researchers despite these limitations.
Leveraging Reproducibility to Boost Funding and Publishing Success
The session emphasized that funders and high-impact journals increasingly expect reproducibility and openness. African researchers and institutions learned that adopting reproducibility practices early on not only improves research quality but also opens more doors for funding, publication, and international recognition.
About the webinar series
This webinar was co-organized by UbuntuNet Alliance and Access 2 Perspectives as part of the ORCID Global Participation Program.
ORCID is the persistent identifier for researchers to share their accomplishments (research articles, data, etc with funding agencies, publishers, data repositories, and other research workflows.
AfricArXiv is a community-led digital archive for African research communication. By enhancing the visibility of African research, we enable discoverability and collaboration opportunities for African scientists on the continent as well as globally.