Enhancing the Quality and Visibility of African Medical and Health Journals
2008

Improving African Medical Journals

Editorial Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Thomas J. Goehl, Annette Flanagin

Primary Institution: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Hypothesis

Are most journals published in Africa too weak to be useful to local practitioners, researchers, and policy makers?

Conclusion

The African Journal Partnership Project has successfully improved the quality and visibility of several African medical journals.

Supporting Evidence

  • The AJPP has successfully paired African journals with leading international journals for support.
  • Training has been provided to improve journal management and publication quality.
  • Three African journals have been accepted into MEDLINE due to improvements.

Takeaway

Some medical journals in Africa are not very good, but a program is helping them get better so that doctors and researchers can find useful information.

Methodology

The African Journal Partnership Project pairs African journals with established international journals for support and training.

Limitations

The publication quality of many African journals remains low, and there are disparities in research output across the continent.

Participant Demographics

The project involves African medical journals from various countries, particularly focusing on those with low visibility and impact.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1289/ehp.12265

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