Challenges of Research and Publication: Ethiopian Public Universities Context

Abstract

Research is one of the three main missions of Ethiopian public universities i.e., education, research, and community engagement. Many studies in the past have shown that the universities’ research output through research-based innovations and publications is low. But the current state of affairs has not been explored well. It is also rare to find studies that compared completed research projects and published papers in public universities. Studies that assess Ethiopian public universities’ research and publication trends and challenges are also missing. To this end, the current study aims at exploring the challenges of research and publication in Jinka University.  Descriptive survey design was employed, and the necessary data was collected using questionnaire, interview, and focus group discussions. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques were carried out in the study. Descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages were employed to analyze the quantitative data, while thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The results interpreted and discussed in relation to the research questions and relevant literature. Finally, based on the results, conclusions were drawn, and recommendations suggested.