A pan-African digital media organisation based exclusively on social-media platforms. It is focused on giving a voice to Africans both at home and abroad through cutting-edge, African-centred content.
This podcast series examines philosophy originating from Africa and the African diaspora. Beginning with the origins of humanity in Africa and philosophical literature in ancient Egypt, it goes all the way to present day.
Zeinab Badawi travelled across more than thirty countries in Africa and explored the continent’s history from the beginning of time to the modern era with the goal to 'set history straight' for this BBC documentary series.
A series about the history of Africa with Basil Davidson produced by Channel 4 and the Nigerian Television Authority in 1984.
Academic Resources
Below is a list of some of the most prestigious journals focused on the study of Africa.
Africais the premier journal devoted to the study of African societies and culture. Editorial policy encourages an interdisciplinary approach, involving humanities, social sciences, and environmental sciences. Africaaims to give increased attention to African production of knowledge, highlighting the work of African thinkers and writers, and links between local and national levels of society. At the same time, it maintains its commitment to the theoretically informed analysis of the realities of Africa's own cultural categories. Find out more here.
African Affairsis published on behalf of the African Royal Society and is the top ranked journal on African Studies. It is an inter-disciplinary journal, with a focus on the politics and international relations of sub-Saharan Africa. It also includes sociology, anthropology, economics, history, literature, art, music and more. Find out more here.
The African Journal of Political Sciences is published by the African Association of Political Science, with the aim of providing a platform for African perspectives on issues of politics, economy and society in Africa. It is published twice a year - in June and December, and targeted at the social science community, policy-makers, and university students. Contributions are in either English or French. Find out more here.
African Research Review (AFRREV) is a Peer Reviewed Multi-Disciplinary Journal of the International Association of African Researchers and Reviewers (IAARR) with its head office in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Its aim is to publish scholarly research outputs in and on Africa. Its focus is on the broad areas of Africa Development. Visit its website.
African Studiesis an international interdisciplinary journal which aims to publish high quality conceptual and empirical writing relevant to Africa. Significant disciplines include but are not limited to: anthropology, critical race, gender and sexuality studies, geography, history, literary, cultural and media studies, sociology, and politics. Find out more here.
African Studies Review (ASR) is the flagship scholarly journal of the African Studies Association (USA). The ASR publishes the highest quality African studies scholarship in all academic disciplines. The ASR’s rigourous interdisciplinary peer review seeks to contribute to the development of scholarly conversations of interest to the diverse audience of the Association’s membership and to the growth of African studies in North America, on the African continent, and in a global comparative context. Find out more here.
Critical African Studiesseeks to return Africanist scholarship to the heart of theoretical innovation within each of its constituent disciplines, including anthropology, political science, sociology, history, law and economics. Find out more here.
The Journal of African History publishes articles and book reviews on subjects ranging from ancient times to the present. Historical approaches to all time periods are welcome. The thematic range is equally broad, covering social, economic, political, cultural, and intellectual history. Recent articles have explored diverse themes including: labour and class, gender and sexuality, health and medicine, ethnicity and race, migration and diaspora, nationalism and state politics, religion and ritual, and technology and the environment. Find out more here.
Journal of Eastern African Studies is the international publication of the British Institute in Eastern Africa, published four times a year. It aims to promote fresh scholarly enquiry on the region from within the humanities and the social sciences, and to encourage work that communicates across disciplinary boundaries. It seeks to foster inter-disciplinary analysis, strong comparative perspectives, and research employing the most significant theoretical or methodological approaches for the region. Find out more here.
The Journal of Modern African Studiesoffers a quarterly survey of developments in modern African politics and society. Its main emphasis is on current issues in African politics, economies, societies and international relations. It is intended not only for students and academic specialists, but also for general readers and practitioners with a concern for modern Africa, living and working both inside and outside the continent. Editorial policy avoids commitment to any political viewpoint or ideology but aims at a fair examination of controversial issues in order to promote a deeper understanding of what is happening in Africa today. Find out more here.
Journal of Southern African Studies is an international publication for work of high academic quality on issues of interest and concern in the region of Southern Africa. It aims to generate fresh scholarly research in the fields of history, economics, sociology, demography, social anthropology, geography, development studies, administration, law, political science, political economy, international relations, literature, cultural studies, and the natural sciences in so far as they relate to the human condition. Find out more here.
Review of African Political Economy (ROAPE) provides radical analyses of trends, issues and social processes in Africa, adopting a broadly materialist interpretation of change. ROAPE is committed to encouraging high quality research and fostering excellence in the understanding of African political economy. Its contributions are based on politically engaged scholarship and it is not generally looking for econometric analyses. It pays particular attention to the political economy of inequality, exploitation, oppression, and to struggles against them, whether driven by global forces or local ones such as class, race, community and gender. Find out more here.
Accessing Academic Journals
African researchers often lack access to foreign journals because university libraries cannot afford the subscription fees. However, a number of schemes and programs exist which make academic journals from the major publishers free to researchers at African universities. Below is a list of some of these schemes:
The STAR program provides one-month free access to around 1700 scientific journals published by Taylor and Francis. Upon registering to STAR, the researcher or student receives a voucher that can be activated when needed. Coverage spans arts and humanities, social and behavioural sciences, biological and physical sciences. Find out more here.
Research 4 Life consists of a series of programmes that provide developing countries with free or low cost access to academic and professional peer-reviewed content online. The programme is designed to reduce the knowledge gap between developed and developing countries.
Through central negotiation with publishers, EIFL negotiates highly discounted prices and fair terms of use to increase access to scholarly material which is essential for research and education. Find out more here.
African Journals Online(AJOL) hosts several hundred African-published peer-reviewed academic journals, including many in the humanities and social sciences.The aim of AJOL is to promote access to African research. Find out more here.
