Africa-based scholars publishing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss Africa-based scholars’ publication citation at the global level. The study selected four countries – Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya. Design/methodology/approach The study analyzed citation data from Elsevier’s SciVal from 2010 to 2015. Findings The investigation reveals that Africa-based scholars in Botswana, South Africa and Kenya have a significant citation impact, particularly in the field of medicine. Research limitations/implications The study concentrated only on four African countries. International collaboration is an important factor and further investigation on this specific angle would be a useful research endeavor. Practical implications Influence university decision-making on funding for research; scholarly collaboration. Originality/value The study would be helpful in understanding the contribution of Africa-based scholars to knowledge creation and dissemination.