Authorship in the East African Medical Journal

Between 1978 and 1987, Kenyan authors contributed an average of 47% of papers published in the East African Medical Journal (EAMJ), in comparison to 24% originating from Nigeria and 29% from other countries, mainly those in the eastern and central African region. From January 1988 to December 1993, 44.1% of the papers published in EAMJ originated from Kenyan authors as compared to 26.7% from Nigerian authors and 29.2% from authors in other countries. During this six year period, there has been a steady increase in authorship from Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Tanzania, whereas authorship from Uganda and Zambia has declined. Many authors from Saudi Arabia are individuals originally from Nigeria now working in Saudi Arabia. These data indicate that Kenyan authorship has dropped by 3% over the last six years compared to the 1978-1987 period, while that of Nigeria has increased by at least 3% over the same period. During the period under review, EAMJ has attracted papers from as far as China, Turkey, Malaysia, Canada, USA, France, Sweden and Hungary. Similarly, papers have been received from other African countries not previously contributing to the journal; these include: Gabon, Mozambique, RSA, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Burundi, Namibia, Liberia, Egypt, Somalia and Zaire. Possible factors influencing authorship in the EAMJ are discussed.