Visibility and Accessibility of Indigenous Knowledge on Open Access Institutional Repositories at Universities in Africa

Conceptual Overview

Much research has been done on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) at African universities but the results are inaccessible as they remain scattered all over in researchers' offices, yet IK plays a significant role in Africa's development. Universities are better placed to consolidate, preserve, disseminate and facilitate easy access to such knowledge. This chapter explores the role that can be played by Institutional Repositories (IRs) in fulfilling this goal. Literature was reviewed to provide a conceptual overview of the role of IRs, to establish the challenges faced by universities in enabling access to IK in institutional repositories and explore strategies that can be employed to promote their use. The findings revealed that academics have not fully embraced the IR technologies; therefore, librarians struggle to secure content for their IRs. It is recommended that rigorous awareness campaigns on open access and IRs be done by librarians to obtain stakeholder buy-in.

Indigenous knowledge systems

10.1093/med/9780198703327.003.0015 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Catherine A. Odora-Hoppers

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Economic Value ◽

Herbal Medicines ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Development Education ◽

Interdisciplinary Field ◽

The Social ◽

Social And Economic Development

Chapter 15 describes the tensions that exist between Western scientific approaches and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. It illustrates the way in which traditional knowledge of, for example, herbal medicines, has a potentially very high economic value and describes how this can be developed in partnership between local and global interests. It also covers the author’s role as Professor of Development Education in creating a new interdisciplinary field of study, which strengthens the role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the social and economic development of Africa and opens out new ways of seeing the world and acting to improve it.

42. Sustainable Development and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Nigeria: The role of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER)

The Cultural Dimension of Development ◽

10.3362/9781780444734.042 ◽

1995 ◽

pp. 475-478

Author(s):

Adedotun O. Phillips ◽

S. Oguntunji Titilola

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Economic Research ◽

Role of indigenous knowledge systems in the conservation of the bio-physical environment among the Teso community in Busia County-Kenya

African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ◽

10.5897/ajest2016.2182 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 467-475 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Dan Ayaa Dominics ◽

Waswa Fuchaka

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Physical Environment ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Evoking the epistemology of climate governance through indigenous knowledge systems for sustainable development in rural Zimbabwe

Jàmbá Journal of Disaster Risk Studies ◽

10.4102/jamba.v13i1.1024 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Shingirai S. Mugambiwa

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Adaptive Methods ◽

Governance Structure ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Climate Governance ◽

This article seeks to establish the role of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in climate governance in pursuit of sustainable development in rural Zimbabwe. Rural communities in the developing world suffer the most from the negative effects of climate change. As such, their success in combating the effects of climate change is through establishing culture-specific methods. These methods constitute what I refer to in this article as climate governance through IKS. The impacts of climate change faced by rural communities include water shortages, drought, and floods, to mention a few. Drought is anticipated to bring about adverse consequences to water supply, which negatively affects food production and the environment in its entirety. Hence, this study investigates the methods of IKS water harvesting and other IKS-based adaptation and overall governance methods. The study employed a qualitative method in which participants took part in in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion (FGD) and data was analysed through thematic content analysis (TCA) and grounded theory. The study found that the role of spirit mediums and spirituality is essential in IKS climate governance. It also established that one of the most famous forms of climate change adaptation strategies in Mutoko district is IKS-based irrigation. The role of social networks was found to be essential in the sharing of ideas pertaining to irrigation and other adaptive methods of farming. Through the findings of the study, I developed a model that reflects and interprets indigenous-based climate governance structure in Mutoko district.

Demystifying the Myth of Mathematics Learning At the Foundation Phase: The Role of Akan Indigenous Games (Challenges and Opportunities for Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in the Education System)

International Journal of Educational Sciences ◽

10.31901/24566322.2015/08.02.08 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 08 (02) ◽

Author(s):

James Owusu-Mensah

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Education System ◽

Mathematics Learning ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Challenges And Opportunities

From sacrilege to sustainability: the role of indigenous knowledge systems in biodiversity conservation in the Upper West Region of Ghana

GeoJournal ◽

10.1007/s10708-019-10010-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 85 (4) ◽

pp. 1057-1074 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Enoch Akwasi Kosoe ◽

Prince Osei-Wusu Adjei ◽

Francis Diawuo

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

West Region ◽

Handbook of Research on Social, Cultural, and Educational Considerations of Indigenous Knowledge in Developing Countries - Advances in Knowledge Acquisition, Transfer, and Management ◽

Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Zimbabwe

10.4018/978-1-5225-0838-0.ch013 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 244-258 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mass Tapfuma

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Review Of Literature ◽

Ethical Considerations ◽

Ethical Practices ◽

Unethical Practices ◽

Conceptual Overview

The chapter discusses the ethical considerations that have to be observed in the preservation of indigenous knowledge following observations that there is no documented evidence of efforts in Zimbabwe to protect indigenous knowledge from unethical practices by researchers and companies as they tap and use the knowledge. The chapter brings to fore the importance of ethics with regards to research aimed at tapping and preserving indigenous knowledge systems before the knowledge becomes extinct. Therefore, a review of literature was done in order to provide a conceptual overview of the importance of ethics, and measures that can be taken in the preservation of indigenous knowledge are also explored. The chapter recommends that policies promoting ethical practices in the preservation of indigenous knowledge systems of the indigenous communities, be put in place as a measure against theft of innovations and knowledge and the filing of bad patents.