The Sustainability of Practices Employed to Build the Research Capacity of Academic Practitioners in South African Universities

Carlo Daniels

doi:10.25159/1947-9417/20547

Authors

Carlo Daniels University of South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4003-6185

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/1947-9417/20547

Keywords:

Sustainable research capacity building, academic practitioners, researchers, South African universities, grounded theory

Abstract

The increased investment in enhanced research capacity is grounded in the belief that meaningful research is associated with several economic, social, and environmental benefits. South African universities are on a quest to remain competitive in global rankings. One avenue to achieve improved rankings is to increase the quality and quantity of research and the capacity of those responsible for its production. Scholarly literature exploring sustainable research capacity building is low. Little is known about effective ways to promote the capacity for excellence in research. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the sustainability of practices employed to build the research capacity of academic practitioners in South African universities. To achieve the purpose of this study, semi-structured interviews, embedded in grounded theory principles, were employed. The findings revealed that effective practices were employed to foster the research capacity building of their research practitioners. However, limited resources—such as inadequate funding, overwhelming teaching responsibilities, and insufficient competence to engage in interdisciplinary research—hinder the sustainability of the implemented practices. With sustainability in mind, institutions should prioritise fostering a culture of mentorship, collaboration, and active research participation.

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