Addressing the Global Inequality in Social Work Research: Challenges, Opportunities, and Key Insights and Strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Research plays a critical role in addressing problems and fostering wellness (Bright, 2020). The creation, testing, and refinement of interventions that alleviate human suffering is predicated upon the application of the scientific method to disparate social concerns (Popper, 2013). In an increasingly interconnected world, scientific knowledge is essential to societal health and development (Ryan & Daly, 2019), and social work research plays an important role in this process (Kreisberg & Marsh, 2016). Examples in this regard include the efforts of social workers to build financial capability, advance individual and family wellness, and create a more just society (Grand Challenges for Social Work, 2019). Consequently, it is concerning that significant global inequities exist in social work research production (Pawar, 2015). Article publication—a good proxy for scientific knowledge dissemination—is dominated by scholars outside the global south (Hodge et al., 2020). A recent content analysis of the 10 largest social work journals found that just 5% (139 of 2,538) of research articles either included an author from, or focused on, the global south (Roche & Flynn, 2020). Of the 190 authors with affiliations in the global south, almost none came from sub-Saharan Africa, with the notable exception of South Africa.

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