By Isaac Asare
As competition in global research intensifies, the University of Ghana is equipping its next generation of academics with data-driven tools to stay relevant. In an effort to actualize this vision, about thirty early and mid-career faculty and PhD candidates have been made to undergo a 3-day bibliometric analysis workshop to deepen their understanding on research trends, identify knowledge gaps, and improve publication output.
The just ended training workshop spearheaded by the Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science under the School of Biological Sciences, is expected to sharpen researchers’ ability to analyse scientific literature and more importantly enhance collaboration across disciplines.
The initiative forms part of the University’s strategic focus on impactful research and academic excellence. In an interview with Radio Ghana on the sidelines of the workshop, Dean of the School of Biological Sciences, Francis Gbogbo, said the idea is to perfect the research focus of faculty and postgraduate students by strengthening their ability to interrogate existing literature.
He, however explained that bibliometric analysis is a critical tool that enables researchers to evaluate existing literature and position their work within relevant and emerging areas. According to him, the ability to identify gaps in research is key to producing meaningful academic work relevant or publication.
The training he noted, will go a long way to enhance participants’ capacity to collaborate and secure research funding. Professor Gbogbo hinted that the initiative was driven by a group of early and mid-career researchers who sought to build capacity within the school through collaborative learning.
Also in an interview, a participant, Prof Eurika Emefa Ahadji Adomako of the Department of Plant and Environmental Biology, observed that the workshop introduces a critical research skill that is gradually gaining attention in academia. She noted that bibliometric analysis goes beyond traditional literature review by helping researchers track trends, identify emerging topics, and understand how knowledge in specific fields has evolved over time.
This, she added, is particularly important for postgraduate students, as it guides them to focus on relevant and impactful research areas rather than revisiting already exhausted topics to avoid duplications. Submission made by Prof. Bethel Kwansa-Bentum from the Animal Biology and Conservation Science Department points to the speed and depth of analysis made possible by the tools being introduced.
He said one’s ability to quickly analyse large datasets and identify “hotspots” in research is a major advantage for academics seeking to refine their focus. He reiterated that literature review remains the backbone of academic research and is critical to producing strong theses and publications. Participants, he said are expected to apply the skills acquired to improve research productivity, develop competitive research proposals, and enhance collaboration across academic fields.
