A workshop on scientific writing

How does an editorial board work in an international journal of social sciences? What are the criteria for judging the submitted papers? Why African researchers have so much trouble to publish in these journals?

Following the 12th APAD Conference, held in November 2015 on the issue of "the fabrication of public action", APAD and LADYD have organized in Cotonou (Benin) a workshop on scientific writing in social sciences (26 to 29 September 2016), in collaboration with the Journal Afrique Contemporaine. 15 young researchers and PhD students, from Benin, Senegal and Burkina Faso, having proposed a communication to the APAD conference participated at the workshop. We had four days of intensive exchange and discussion of their papers.

Between ignorance of the rules of academic publication, and lack of writing training, young Afrian researchers are particularly un-prepared to publish in international academic journals. Participants were able to understand the sources of the difficulties or even the failures they encountered  and regained confidence in their ability to give value to their field work and to publish their results. We bet that the new version of their text will be greatly improved!