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Funding research in South Africa: alternative data sources for science policy decision-making
Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613913753845760 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Treptow, Reinhold Friedrich |
| author2 | Mouton, Johann |
| author_browse | Mouton, Johann Treptow, Reinhold Friedrich |
| author_facet | Mouton, Johann Treptow, Reinhold Friedrich |
| author_sort | Treptow, Reinhold Friedrich |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131937 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:41.995Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131937 Funding research in South Africa: alternative data sources for science policy decision-making Treptow, Reinhold Friedrich Mouton, Johann Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology. Research grants -- South Africa Research -- Finance -- South Africa Policy sciences -- Research -- South Africa Technology and state -- South Africa Science -- Methodology -- South Africa Research -- Government policy -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. Adequate financing of the scientific enterprise is a predominant global concern deemed essential for technological and economic progress. Discerning an optimal shape and direction of funding is especially urgent, in South Africa, given that national expenditure on R&D is relatively low and has been decreasing over the past years. In this study I have therefore developed a methodology to assess both the appropriateness as well as the adequacy of research funding data sources. Based on a review of key policy documents, four high-level (South African) policy priorities are identified: (1) ensuring that there is an adequate level of R&D investment, (2) fostering collaboration between sectors and institutions, (3) steering the content of research towards national priorities (relevant themes, areas, fields, socio-economic objectives, etc.), and (4) supporting the transformation (in terms of gender and race) of the research system. The appropriateness of the data sources is determined based on the extent that the data can address these policy priorities. The adequacy of the data sources is appraised based on five key considerations: the quality of the data source, the level of the data, the frequency and continuity in data points, the coverage of the relevant target group/population, and the access (what restrictions are applied). Of the standard research funding data sources used to inform research policy decision-making, I find that the R&D Survey provides the most comprehensive description of South Africa’s research funding landscape. I therefore undertake a detailed analysis of the R&D Survey data. I show that although the Survey adequately captures high-level trends for R&D expenditure, funding information at lower levels of analysis is either not captured or is excessively vague and ambiguous. Consequently, the R&D Survey cannot provide data that describes the transformation of the research system, nor data that describes the collaboration between institutions and sectors. In addition, as the project level data cannot be recategorised, the extent that data can describe the content of research (as pertaining to national priorities) is impeded. I also examine non-standard research funding data sources. I find that despite the potential for providing more detailed research funding information, funding acknowledgements are subject to excessive errors in the indexing of funding information. In addition, funding acknowledgment data and international funder web repository data lack specificity in the identification of the recipients of research funding. I show, however, that the DHET and the NRF collect research funding information (for their own purposes) that can address the full range of research funding policy priorities identified. The thesis concludes by demonstrating the benefits, for policymakers, of incorporating these non-standard research funding data sources. This study makes several novel and valuable contributions. A method for assessing the adequacy and appropriateness of research funding data sources is introduced. A range of data sources are assessed, and suggestions are presented that can make data sources tenable for more systematic analyses in the future. Moreover, the value derived from funding information collected by government agencies for their own purposes is demonstrated. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Voldoende befondsing vir die wetenskapsveld is ’n heersende globale kwelpunt, noodsaaklik vir tegnologiese en ekonomiese vooruitgang. Om die optimale vorm en vloei vir fondse te vind is veral belangrik in Suid-Afrika, aangesien nasionale besteding aan Navorsing en Ontwikkeling (N&O) relatief laag is en oor die afgelope paar jaar verminder is. In hierdie studie het die navorser ’n metodologie ontwikkel om die gepastheid en toereikendheid van navorsingsbefondsingsdatabronne te assesseer. Na aanleiding van ’n analise van sleutelbeleidsdokumente word vier oorhoofse (Suid-Afrikaanse) beleidsprioriteite geïdentifiseer: (1) om voldoende belegging in N&O te verseker, (2) om samewerking tussen sektore en instellings te bevorder, (3) om navorsingonderwerpe te lei na nasionale belange (relevante temas, gebiede, velde, sosio-ekonomiese doelwitte, en so meer), en (4) om die transformasie (in terme van geslag en ras) van die navorsingstelsel te ondersteun. Die geskiktheid van die databronne word bepaal volgens die mate waarin die data hierdie beleidsprioriteite aanspreek. Vyf maatstawwe word gebruik om die toereikendheid van die databronne te beoordeel: die kwaliteit van die databron, die vlak van die data, die frekwensie en kontinuïteit van datapunte, die dekking van die relevante teikengroep/populasie, en toegang (watter beperkings toegepas word). Uit die standaard navorsingsbefondsingsbronne wat gebruik word vir navorsingsbeleidsbesluite, vind ek dat die N&O-opname die mees omvattende beskrywing van Suid-Afrika se navorsingsbefondsingslandskap bied. Ek doen dus ’n gedetailleerde ontleding van die N&O-opname se data. Ek wys dat alhoewel die opname wel algemene tendense van N&O-besteding aantoon, befondsingsinligting vir meer spesifieke ontleding óf ontbreek óf vaag en dubbelsinnig is. Die N&O-verslag verskaf gevolglik nie data wat die transformasie van die navorsingstelsel beskryf nie; dit bevat ook nie data wat die samewerking tussen instansies en sektore beskryf nie. Aangesien die projekvlak-data nie herkategoriseerbaar is nie, word die mate waarin die data die inhoud van navorsing beskryf (met betrekking tot nasionale belange) belemmer. Ek ondersoek ook nie-standaard navorsingsbefondsingsdatabronne. Ten spyte van die moontlikheid wat dit het om meer gedetailleerde navorsingsbefondsingsinligting te verskaf, vind ek dat befondsingserkennings onderhewig is aan oormatige foute in die indeksering van befondsingsinligting. Daarby ontbreek befondsingserkenningsdata en internasionale befondser-webdata spesifisiteit as dit kom by die identifikasie van die ontvangers van navorsingsbefondsing. Ek wys egter dat die Departement van Hoër Onderwys en Opleiding en Nasionale Navorsingstigting befondsingsinligting (vir hul eie gebruik) inwin wat die volle reeks geïdentifiseerde navorsingsbefondsingsbeleidsprioriteite kan aanspreek. Ten slotte demonstreer die tesis die voordele wat die gebruik van hierdie nie-standaard navorsingsbefondsingsbronne vir beleidmakers kan inhou. Hierdie studie lewer verskeie innoverende en waardevolle bydraes. ’n Metode vir die assessering van die toereikendheid en geskiktheid van navorsingsbefondsingsdatabronne word bekendgestel. ’n Reeks databronne word geëvalueer, en voorstelle word gemaak wat databronne vatbaar sal maak vir meer sistematiese ontledings in die toekoms. Die waarde wat verkry word uit befondsingsinligting deur staatsagentskappe vir hul eie doeleindes ingesamel word bowenal gedemonstreer. Doctoral 2025-04-29T13:22:49Z 2025-04-29T13:22:49Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131937 eng Stellenbosch University 272 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Research grants -- South Africa Research -- Finance -- South Africa Policy sciences -- Research -- South Africa Technology and state -- South Africa Science -- Methodology -- South Africa Research -- Government policy -- South Africa UCTD Treptow, Reinhold Friedrich Funding research in South Africa: alternative data sources for science policy decision-making |
| title | Funding research in South Africa: alternative data sources for science policy decision-making |
| title_full | Funding research in South Africa: alternative data sources for science policy decision-making |
| title_fullStr | Funding research in South Africa: alternative data sources for science policy decision-making |
| title_full_unstemmed | Funding research in South Africa: alternative data sources for science policy decision-making |
| title_short | Funding research in South Africa: alternative data sources for science policy decision-making |
| title_sort | funding research in south africa alternative data sources for science policy decision making |
| topic | Research grants -- South Africa Research -- Finance -- South Africa Policy sciences -- Research -- South Africa Technology and state -- South Africa Science -- Methodology -- South Africa Research -- Government policy -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131937 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT treptowreinholdfriedrich fundingresearchinsouthafricaalternativedatasourcesforsciencepolicydecisionmaking |