Research Productivity, Visibility, and Impact at the University of Namibia

Abstract

The global competitiveness drive, pursuit for relevance, and search for true identity continues to challenge many African universities in their quest to achieve the delicate balance of preserving national indigenous repute and worldwide visibility. For decades, universities have occupied a centre stage in this balancing act through research productivity, evaluation, and impact. The benefits of university research and innovation are varied, persuasive, well-documented, and acknowledged as benchmarks for the visibility, sustenance, and relevance of any modern university. This chapter examines the research profile of the University of Namibia (UNAM) by looking at its current research productivity, visibility, and impact in the SADC region and beyond. Using bibliometric and altimetric analysis from Web of Science, Scopus, and SciVal databases, and the institutional repository, the chapter underscores the fragility but evolving UNAM's research performance output and highlights open access and research data management as keys to enhancing institutional research productivity and visibility.