Ensuring excellence in research on Innovation and Development studies research and publishing in international journals is a demanding exercise. It requires thorough knowledge of theory and methods in the field of Innovation and Development as well as specific knowledge on how to target journals, engage in academic conversations, and create high-quality, unique academic papers bringing new and relevant knowledge, concepts, or theories to the table.

Considerable efforts have been made to enhance research quality in African Innovation and Development Studies research in the past 10 years. Even so, only a fragment of the journal articles published in journals outside the African continent are written by African scholars.The reasons are numerous and stretch from a perceived lack of relevance of papers focusing on African issues and contexts among journal editors over repetition of knowledge already published, to uncritical use of scientific methods and inadequate quality of submitted articles e.g. due to language issues or flaws in the structure and flow of the articles.

Against this background, this thematic session will focus on key issues related to achieving excellence in research and international publishing in the field of Innovation and Development