2.6 Trends in collaborative publishing (multi-authorship)
2.6.2 Trends in collaborative publishing in non-WoS journals (local SA journals and
The results in this section pertain to those articles that appeared in journals not indexed in the WoS, i.e.
local SA journals and IBSS-indexed journals. This number adds up to 36 383 individual papers. In our coding of the collaboration categories for this subset of the data, we distinguished between ‘single- authored papers’ and “multi-authored papers”. The latter was further divided between collaboration with authors from other SA universities and collaboration with authors outside the HE system (science councils, government departments, national research facilities) and internationally. There were 18% of papers which we could not allocate to any of these categories.
Given the predominance of the social sciences, humanities and arts disciplines in local SA journals, the results are not entirely unexpected. More than 40% of these papers were single-authored papers.
Nationally collaborative publishing accounts for one quarter of all papers with a relatively small proportion of 15% of the papers in this data set involving collaborations outside the university system.
Table 11: Collaborations in journals not indexed by WoS (2005 – 2014) Number of
Papers %
Single-author papers 14949 41.1%
Collaboration within HEI system 9242 25.4%
Collaborations outside HEI system (other SA
institution and/or international collaboration) 5504 15.1%
Collaboration unknown 6688 18.4%
36383
The field-specific patterns are presented in Table 12. The data is presented in descending order by
proportions of papers that are single authored. These figures very clear show how dominant single
authorship is in the Humanities and Arts (Religion, Languages, Law) and Social Sciences. At the other
extreme, we find that collaborative publishing is more prevalent in Agriculture, Chemical Sciences and
the Biological Sciences.
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Table 12: Trends in co-authorship by scientific fieldTotal
papers Single author/No collaboration
Collaboration within SA HE
Sector
Collaboration outside SA HEI
Religion 3481 83.7% 12.4% 3.9%
Language and linguistics 2075 76.7% 16.6% 6.7%
Law 3625 69.6% 17.4% 13.0%
Other humanities and arts 2750 69.1% 19.2% 11.7%
Sociology and related studies 1646 50.6% 34.1% 15.2%
Education 2017 44.4% 35.5% 20.0%
Other social sciences 6385 44.3% 34.8% 21.0%
Basic health sciences 151 43.7% 22.5% 33.8%
Unknown 813 42.9% 37.9% 19.2%
Economic and management sciences 3264 36.7% 47.8% 15.5%
Multidisciplinary sciences 588 34.9% 41.0% 24.1%
Physical sciences 6 33.3% 16.7% 50.0%
Psychology 471 30.1% 48.2% 21.7%
Mathematical sciences and ICCT 348 22.4% 51.4% 26.1%
Earth sciences 189 18.5% 44.4% 37.0%
Clinical and public health 3501 17.3% 51.9% 30.8%
Engineering sciences and applied technology 467 14.6% 55.5% 30.0%
Biological sciences 28 10.7% 32.1% 57.1%
Chemical sciences 13 7.7% 69.2% 23.1%
Agricultural sciences 398 6.3% 70.4% 23.4%
Table 13: Collaboration profile of journals with more than 100 papers6
Single
author/No collaboration
Collaboration
within SA HEI Collaboration outside SA HEI
Unknown Total papers
South African Journal of Plant and Soil 5% 43% 42% 10% 285
Southern African Journal of Infectious
Diseases 11% 40% 39% 11% 192
South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition 11% 33% 37% 18% 210
Occupational Health Southern Africa 14% 42% 35% 10% 125
Urban Forum 38% 26% 32% 4% 186
Current Allergy and Clinical Immunology 42% 18% 31% 9% 153
South African Journal of Occupational
Therapy 16% 38% 30% 16% 147
African Journal of Primary Health Care and
Family Medicine 12% 54% 29% 5% 132
6 Cells that record some form of collaboration with 30% or more articles have been coded light blue. Cells that record no collaboration with 30% or more articles have been coded light green.
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Acta Structilia: Journal for the Physical andDevelopment Sciences 9% 47% 29% 14% 112
AJPHERD: African Journal for Physical,
Health Education Recreation and Dance 12% 46% 28% 14% 1248
AJRMSTE: African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education
22% 32% 28% 19% 172
South African Journal of Sport Medicine 11% 50% 28% 11% 142
South African Family Practice: Official Journal of the South African Academy of Family Physicians
19% 40% 27% 14% 645
Health SA Gesondheid 7% 41% 27% 25% 229
Pythagoras: Journal of the Association for
Mathematics Education of South Africa 28% 29% 27% 16% 120
Gender and Behaviour 29% 43% 26% 2% 117
SA Orthopaedic Journal 14% 42% 25% 20% 251
International Journal of Educational
Sciences 45% 30% 25% 0% 187
South African Journal of Physiotherapy 3% 44% 24% 30% 186
SA Journal of Radiology 10% 56% 24% 10% 147
Africa Journal of Nursing and Midwifery 5% 55% 24% 16% 128
Journal of Human Ecology 33% 44% 23% 1% 283
Curationis 12% 37% 23% 29% 258
Management Dynamics: Contemporary Research Journal of the Southern Africa Institute for Management Scientists
13% 49% 23% 15% 124
Journal of Social Sciences 41% 37% 22% 0% 487
Journal of Education 41% 19% 22% 19% 140
Indilinga: African Journal of Indigenous
Knowledge Systems 36% 28% 22% 14% 138
South African Journal of Information
Management 14% 40% 22% 23% 132
Africa Insight 47% 24% 21% 8% 234
Perspectives in Education 33% 29% 20% 18% 312
Journal for New Generation Sciences 28% 42% 20% 10% 210
Africa Education Review 30% 31% 19% 21% 221
Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia
and Analgesia 33% 35% 19% 13% 172
Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk: A
Professional Journal for the Social Worker 25% 30% 18% 27% 292
SA Journal of Human Resource
Management 11% 60% 18% 11% 181
SADJ: Journal of the South African Dental
Association 12% 32% 17% 39% 526
South African Law Journal 56% 9% 17% 17% 310
Southern African Public Law 42% 7% 17% 34% 272
Annual Survey of South African Law 50% 16% 17% 18% 214
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Social Work Practitioner-Researcher/Maatskaplikewerk Navorser- Praktisyn
24% 30% 17% 28% 194
African Journal of Public Affairs 46% 35% 17% 2% 134
TD: Journal for Transdisciplinary Research
in Southern Africa 52% 30% 16% 2% 176
African Vision and Eye Health 40% 40% 16% 4% 161
South African Journal of African Languages/Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Afrikatale
48% 12% 15% 25% 195
Journal of Contemporary Management 24% 56% 15% 4% 181
Acta Commercii 19% 50% 15% 16% 153
Innovation: A Journal for Appropriate Librarianship and Information Work in Southern Africa
30% 30% 15% 25% 100
South African Journal of Higher Education 37% 31% 14% 18% 817
Journal of Educational Studies 34% 24% 14% 28% 172
SAIEE Africa Research Journal 5% 49% 14% 33% 170
South African Review of Sociology 62% 14% 14% 10% 132
Transformation: Critical Perspectives on
Southern Africa 62% 10% 14% 14% 111
Journal of Public Administration 41% 19% 13% 27% 622
Administratio Publica 46% 33% 13% 9% 246
Mousaion: South African Journal of
Information Studies 29% 27% 13% 30% 205
Southern African Journal for Folklore
Studies 51% 19% 13% 18% 154
Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences 29% 58% 13% 1% 126
International Business and Economics
Research Journal 26% 55% 12% 8% 239
Southern African Business Review 16% 37% 12% 36% 194
South African Journal of Libraries and
Information Science 21% 23% 12% 44% 160
Art South Africa 80% 3% 12% 5% 154
Alternation: Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of the Arts and Humanities in Southern Africa
43% 27% 11% 19% 456
Acta Academica 50% 25% 11% 14% 423
Acta Criminologica: Southern African
Journal of Criminology 33% 25% 11% 31% 309
SA Journal of Industrial
Psychology/Tydskrif vir Bedryfsielkunde 13% 53% 11% 23% 256
Corporate Ownership and Control 34% 51% 10% 4% 268
Stellenbosch Law Review 60% 10% 10% 21% 224
Communicatio: South African Journal for
Communication Theory and Research 46% 20% 10% 24% 167
Progressio: South African Journal for Open
and Distance Learning Practice 46% 42% 10% 2% 119
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South African Computer Journal 15% 48% 10% 26% 118
PER: Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal/Potchefstroomse Elektroniese Regsblad
54% 22% 9% 15% 304
African Human Rights Law Journal 47% 10% 9% 33% 127
Politeia: Journal for Political Science and
Public Administration 35% 17% 9% 38% 127
South African Baptist Journal of Theology 69% 14% 9% 8% 118
Child Abuse Research in South Africa 33% 31% 9% 27% 113
Journal for Juridical Science/Tydskrif vir
Regswetenskap 45% 24% 9% 22% 109
LitNet Akademies/Academic 72% 17% 8% 3% 325
Journal of Contemporary Roman-Dutch
Law 40% 10% 7% 43% 538
De Jure 42% 9% 7% 43% 342
SAALT: Journal for Language
Teaching/Tydskrif vir Taalonderrig 48% 25% 7% 20% 152
Law, Democracy and Development 45% 9% 7% 38% 107
Muziki: Journal of Music Research in Africa 46% 4% 7% 43% 102
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse
Reg/Journal of South African Law 66% 8% 6% 20% 464
Obiter 48% 24% 6% 22% 419
Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 65% 3% 6% 26% 143
Tydskrif vir Letterkunde 68% 9% 6% 18% 141
Scrutiny2: Issues in English Studies in
Southern Africa 74% 4% 6% 16% 114
Journal of Economics and Behavioral
Studies 30% 59% 6% 5% 110
SA Mercantile Law Journal/SA Tydskrif vir
Handelsreg 46% 6% 5% 42% 346
Journal for Christian Scholarship/Tydskrif
vir Christelike Wetenskap 69% 14% 5% 12% 284
Historia: Journal of the Historical
Association of South Africa 62% 9% 5% 23% 164
Current Writing 79% 4% 5% 13% 127
Meditari: Accountancy Research 32% 31% 5% 32% 111
Architecture South Africa: Journal of the
South African Institute of Architects 75% 14% 5% 6% 101
In Die Skriflig 68% 12% 4% 17% 433
Koers: Bulletin for Christian Scholarship/
Bulletin vir Christelike Wetenskap 59% 18% 4% 20% 263
South African Journal of Art History 65% 13% 4% 19% 262
Journal for Semitics/Tydskrif vir Semistiek 69% 6% 4% 21% 258
Journal of Literary Studies/Tydskrif vir
Literatuurwetenskap 73% 5% 4% 19% 182
Comparative and International Law
Journal of South Africa 49% 6% 4% 41% 150
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Journal of Constructive Theology: Gender,Religion and Theology in Africa 64% 21% 4% 11% 118
English in Africa 75% 3% 4% 18% 116
Communitas: Journal for Community
Communication and Information Impact 54% 35% 4% 8% 113
South African Journal of Criminal Justice 62% 10% 3% 25% 229
New Contree: A Journal of Historical and
Human Sciences for Southern Africa 66% 12% 3% 19% 144
Speculum Juris 59% 10% 3% 28% 138
STJ: Stellenbosch Theological Journal 76% 10% 2% 12% 564
Verbum et Ecclesia 63% 13% 2% 22% 418
Literator 64% 12% 2% 22% 232
South African Journal of Cultural History 57% 13% 2% 28% 134
Religion and Theology: A Journal of
Contemporary Religious Discourse 58% 3% 2% 37% 103
Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae: Journal of the Church History Society of Southern Africa
61% 6% 1% 32% 355
Scriptura: International Journal of Bible,
Religion and Theology in Southern Africa 73% 5% 1% 21% 321
Pharos Journal of Theology 66% 15% 1% 18% 163
Journal of Early Christian History: A Journal for the Study of Early Christianity and Late Antiquity
65% 8% 1% 25% 157
Stilet: Tydskrif vir Afrikaanse
Letterkundevereniging 69% 12% 1% 17% 150
English Academy Review 72% 4% 1% 22% 141
Missionalia: Journal of the Southern African Missiological Society/Tydskrif Van Die Suider-Afrikaanse Werkgemeenskap Vir Sendingwetenskap
50% 6% 1% 43% 115
Old Testament Essays (New Series):
Journal of the Old Testament Society of South Africa
67% 4% 0% 29% 351
Fundamina: A Journal of Legal History 50% 5% 0% 45% 131