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Figure 1.1 Representation of global scientific output, by proportion of ISI article production* Chan, Kirsop and Arunachalam (2011: 1) further caution against an over-simplified reading of this cartographic representation, in that “this inequity has led to the misguided notion that little, if any, research of substance is generated in the global South and that the needs of researchers in poor countries are therefore met solely by information donation from the North.” representation in “international” journals and its inefficiency at disseminating research findings in a more strategic, representational manner. As Tijssen (2007: 307) points out:

Figure 1 1 Representation of global scientific output, by proportion of ISI article production* Chan, Kirsop and Arunachalam (2011: 1) further caution against an over-simplified reading of this cartographic representation, in that “this inequity has led to the misguided notion that little, if any, research of substance is generated in the global South and that the needs of researchers in poor countries are therefore met solely by information donation from the North.” representation in “international” journals and its inefficiency at disseminating research findings in a more strategic, representational manner. As Tijssen (2007: 307) points out:

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Table 2.1 Ranking of SADC countries in terms of ISI papers per million of the population (2007) Despite concerns about the value of the ISI system (which we detail in Chapter 3), these indicators were useful in terms of categorising the study sites in relation to other SADC higher education institutions (HEI) and their apparent research productivity. The fact that SCAP was working with the four most research-productive HEIs in the region meant that we could explore correlations between size, output productivity and capacity in determining how feasible it was for regional institutions to profile the knowledge they produce. Though many differences exist between SADC institutions, if the most productive of these faced visibility challenges, then it stood to reason that the others would face similar problems, perhaps even more acutely.
Table 2.1 Ranking of SADC countries in terms of ISI papers per million of the population (2007) Despite concerns about the value of the ISI system (which we detail in Chapter 3), these indicators were useful in terms of categorising the study sites in relation to other SADC higher education institutions (HEI) and their apparent research productivity. The fact that SCAP was working with the four most research-productive HEIs in the region meant that we could explore correlations between size, output productivity and capacity in determining how feasible it was for regional institutions to profile the knowledge they produce. Though many differences exist between SADC institutions, if the most productive of these faced visibility challenges, then it stood to reason that the others would face similar problems, perhaps even more acutely.
Figure 2.1 Representation of an activity system in the CHAT tradition Along the bottom horizontal line are three further nodes that also serve to mediate action: rules, community and division of labour. According to Engestrém (1996: 67), the rules refer to the explicit and implicit regulations, norms and conventions that enable and constrain action within a system. In our context, these rules were often disciplinary norms (informal) and institutional policies (formal).
Figure 2.1 Representation of an activity system in the CHAT tradition Along the bottom horizontal line are three further nodes that also serve to mediate action: rules, community and division of labour. According to Engestrém (1996: 67), the rules refer to the explicit and implicit regulations, norms and conventions that enable and constrain action within a system. In our context, these rules were often disciplinary norms (informal) and institutional policies (formal).
17 SCAP’s adoption of CHAT was unusual in that our study sites did not specifically request interventions around scholarly communication, as typically occurs with CHAT/change lab engagements. In fact, many participants only became aware of the contradictions in their activity systems by exploring them with us. SCAP’s research comprised three interlinked components: expansive learning and change/advocacy; research strands; and implementation initiatives. These components are shown in Figure 2.2. With CHAT at the centre, the four research strands are listed on the right, the four implementation initiatives are listed on the left and the expansive learning element connects the two at the bottom. But as the arrows show, these were mutually constituting components, reflexively influencing each other as they progressed.
17 SCAP’s adoption of CHAT was unusual in that our study sites did not specifically request interventions around scholarly communication, as typically occurs with CHAT/change lab engagements. In fact, many participants only became aware of the contradictions in their activity systems by exploring them with us. SCAP’s research comprised three interlinked components: expansive learning and change/advocacy; research strands; and implementation initiatives. These components are shown in Figure 2.2. With CHAT at the centre, the four research strands are listed on the right, the four implementation initiatives are listed on the left and the expansive learning element connects the two at the bottom. But as the arrows show, these were mutually constituting components, reflexively influencing each other as they progressed.
Figure 2.4 UB FoH activity system triangle populated with change laboratory material In the second workshops, we started populating the activity system triangles with the information given by the pilot participants, identifying the subject, object and outcome o the system, as well as the tools, rules, community and division of labour. Once all of the fields were populated, we started identifying the challenges, contradictions and opportunities within the activity systems so that we could understand where misalignments were occurring and how we could re-align them through an implementation initiative. The data from these workshops gave us a lot of the information we required to write up concept notes for the various implementation initiatives that we ended up pursuing. While most participants initially found this CHAT triangle process awkward, they quickly began to see its descriptive and explanatory power; however, once we established how each node was impact the others, it allowed them to see their work activity in a different light. Figure 2.4 shows a completed triangle
Figure 2.4 UB FoH activity system triangle populated with change laboratory material In the second workshops, we started populating the activity system triangles with the information given by the pilot participants, identifying the subject, object and outcome o the system, as well as the tools, rules, community and division of labour. Once all of the fields were populated, we started identifying the challenges, contradictions and opportunities within the activity systems so that we could understand where misalignments were occurring and how we could re-align them through an implementation initiative. The data from these workshops gave us a lot of the information we required to write up concept notes for the various implementation initiatives that we ended up pursuing. While most participants initially found this CHAT triangle process awkward, they quickly began to see its descriptive and explanatory power; however, once we established how each node was impact the others, it allowed them to see their work activity in a different light. Figure 2.4 shows a completed triangle
Table 3.1 Botswana indicators According to the Tertiary Education Council (2012: 2), there are close to 47,000 students of higher education in Botswana, of which 34,000 go to public HEIs and 13,000 go to private HEIs. This amounts to a gross enrolment rate (GER) of the 18—24 population of 16.4% (TEC 2012: 24), which compares to an 18% rate in South Africa and 45% in Mauritius.33 Funding
Table 3.1 Botswana indicators According to the Tertiary Education Council (2012: 2), there are close to 47,000 students of higher education in Botswana, of which 34,000 go to public HEIs and 13,000 go to private HEIs. This amounts to a gross enrolment rate (GER) of the 18—24 population of 16.4% (TEC 2012: 24), which compares to an 18% rate in South Africa and 45% in Mauritius.33 Funding
Table 3.2 University of Botswana indicators UB academics utilise English in their formal communication and in much of their daily interactions with students. This is the official language of the country and the university, but it is not the first language of most people on campus. This impacts communication in uneven ways, sometimes hindering it (if any of the parties has difficulty with it) and sometimes enhancing it (if the language provides access to a concept that is not well formulated in other known languages). Demographics
Table 3.2 University of Botswana indicators UB academics utilise English in their formal communication and in much of their daily interactions with students. This is the official language of the country and the university, but it is not the first language of most people on campus. This impacts communication in uneven ways, sometimes hindering it (if any of the parties has difficulty with it) and sometimes enhancing it (if the language provides access to a concept that is not well formulated in other known languages). Demographics
Table 4.1 Selected UB PMS scores for research outputs (UB 2008a: 29-31)
Table 4.1 Selected UB PMS scores for research outputs (UB 2008a: 29-31)
Figure 5.1 UB FoH respondents’ self-reported teaching, research and administrative time (%) (N=29| The median indicator for the amount of time scholars engage in research-related activities (reading secondary literature, interviewing subjects, carrying out lab experiments, writing articles, etc.) is 21-30%. This is lower than most would prefer, and many have to use evenings and weekends to conduct or write up their research. As one explained, “I sleep very little, most of us sleep very little. We have to make the time at night ... I work on weekends as well.” Another added, “I come into the office on Saturday and the only thing that takes me out is when I go for a lunch break and then one hour exercise. At 7 or 8pm I go home. On Sunday I go to church and have a meal and relax for one or two hours, then I go to my office until 8pm or so.” UB FoH scholars say that they spend the majority of their time engaged in teaching- related activities (timetabling, prepping, lecturing, marking, advising, invigilating, etc.). Many of our interviewees had a number of postgraduate students’ to supervise and acted as both internal and external examiners of theses in the region (including Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Ghana). The median indicator from their survey responses is that these activities comprise 61-70% of their time. This is substantial, even if it camouflages the diversity of the self-reported times, as staff members’ answers were highly inflected by their positions and interests. Indeed, while 16% of respondents said that they spent 81-100% of their time engaged in teaching-related work, another 16% said that they spent just 21-40% of their time doing so. But even with this variation, it is clear that teaching remains a major priority at UB even as it tries to become more research- oriented. teaching remains a major priority at UB even as it tries to become more research-
Figure 5.1 UB FoH respondents’ self-reported teaching, research and administrative time (%) (N=29| The median indicator for the amount of time scholars engage in research-related activities (reading secondary literature, interviewing subjects, carrying out lab experiments, writing articles, etc.) is 21-30%. This is lower than most would prefer, and many have to use evenings and weekends to conduct or write up their research. As one explained, “I sleep very little, most of us sleep very little. We have to make the time at night ... I work on weekends as well.” Another added, “I come into the office on Saturday and the only thing that takes me out is when I go for a lunch break and then one hour exercise. At 7 or 8pm I go home. On Sunday I go to church and have a meal and relax for one or two hours, then I go to my office until 8pm or so.” UB FoH scholars say that they spend the majority of their time engaged in teaching- related activities (timetabling, prepping, lecturing, marking, advising, invigilating, etc.). Many of our interviewees had a number of postgraduate students’ to supervise and acted as both internal and external examiners of theses in the region (including Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Ghana). The median indicator from their survey responses is that these activities comprise 61-70% of their time. This is substantial, even if it camouflages the diversity of the self-reported times, as staff members’ answers were highly inflected by their positions and interests. Indeed, while 16% of respondents said that they spent 81-100% of their time engaged in teaching-related work, another 16% said that they spent just 21-40% of their time doing so. But even with this variation, it is clear that teaching remains a major priority at UB even as it tries to become more research- oriented. teaching remains a major priority at UB even as it tries to become more research-
Figure 5.2 Values motivating UB FoH scholars to conduct research (aggregated and ranked) To aid our analysis, in Figure 5.2 we have plotted UB FoH scholars’ values according to their level of importance for motivating research (x-axis) and the degree to which these values arise from intrinsic or extrinsic motivations (y-axis). We have then further divided the intrinsic-extrinsic continuum into the three loci of motivation that are most relevant in the university context: the managerial (extrinsic), the collegial/social (mixed extrinsic and intrinsic) and the individual (intrinsic). This trifurcation offers a more precise delineation of scholars’ motivational sources at UB FoH.
Figure 5.2 Values motivating UB FoH scholars to conduct research (aggregated and ranked) To aid our analysis, in Figure 5.2 we have plotted UB FoH scholars’ values according to their level of importance for motivating research (x-axis) and the degree to which these values arise from intrinsic or extrinsic motivations (y-axis). We have then further divided the intrinsic-extrinsic continuum into the three loci of motivation that are most relevant in the university context: the managerial (extrinsic), the collegial/social (mixed extrinsic and intrinsic) and the individual (intrinsic). This trifurcation offers a more precise delineation of scholars’ motivational sources at UB FoH.
Figure 5.4 Traditional, research and communication cycle (Czerniewicz 2013: CC-BY-SA) Figure 5.5 New research and communication cycle (Czerniewicz 2013 : CC-BY-SA)
Figure 5.4 Traditional, research and communication cycle (Czerniewicz 2013: CC-BY-SA) Figure 5.5 New research and communication cycle (Czerniewicz 2013 : CC-BY-SA)
Figure 5.8 Location of research networks for UB FoH respondents (N=21) The relatively higher sense of belonging to an “international” community is likely due to the fact that a high proportion of UB FoH scholars completed their graduate training abroad in the UK, Canada, the US and so forth. Many also studied in South Africa, a country that, by Botswana standards, is seen as both “regional” and “international” at the same time. Many academics have maintained the relationships they cultivated during graduate school and have made new connections through international conferences. Though they report a lesser sense of international belonging than scholars at our other partner universities, it is still greater than any other category for them.
Figure 5.8 Location of research networks for UB FoH respondents (N=21) The relatively higher sense of belonging to an “international” community is likely due to the fact that a high proportion of UB FoH scholars completed their graduate training abroad in the UK, Canada, the US and so forth. Many also studied in South Africa, a country that, by Botswana standards, is seen as both “regional” and “international” at the same time. Many academics have maintained the relationships they cultivated during graduate school and have made new connections through international conferences. Though they report a lesser sense of international belonging than scholars at our other partner universities, it is still greater than any other category for them.
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