Towards global partnerships in research in Sub-Saharan Africa : an informetric study of the national, regional and international country collaboration in HIV / AIDS literature in eastern and southern Africa

Abstract

Research collaboration in Sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly being conducted internationally, perhaps due to the emphasis laid on international partnerships by international organisations such as the United Nations. Using informetric techniques, this paper explores the nature, extent and trends of HIV / AIDS research collaboration and also identifies countries that collaborate with Eastern and Southern African countries in HIV / AIDS research. The study reveals that interest in singly conducted HIV / AIDS research has been overtaken by collaborative research which registered more papers than the former in most countries. Although internal collaboration is largely visible, the trend shows an increased activity at the international level. This pattern can persist only if properly stipulated guidelines and policies on international research collaboration are strengthened or, where they do not exist, put in place to prevent fall-outs which have been recognised as factors influencing shifts in partnerships between countries. Cultivating trust and honesty among researchers is also recommended as one way of ensuring long-term collaborations and hence positioning Africa in the global collaboration map.