Call for submissions: Discussion Series on hidden contributors to research

Throughout the history of science there have been people who contribute to research without necessarily having academic qualifications and/or without being recorded as authors on scholarly publications. Some of these are what has been termed ‘citizen scientists’, who choose to conduct scientific work as a part-time pursuit, and, indeed, contemporary science, and our Journal itself, owe much to such people (https://sajs.co.za/article/view/18378). There are other reasons people may not be recognised. Though there continues to be some debate, for example, about Rosalind Franklin’s role in the discovery of DNA, for which her colleagues Watson and Crick won the Nobel Prize, an editorial in Nature (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01390-6) suggests that both her gender and the fact that Franklin was Jewish may have had decisive impacts on her career – how recognised she was, and career choices she made. Closer to home, the contributions of Hamilton Naki to the pioneering South African transplant team (https://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1308/003588414X13814021679915), and of Charlotte Maxeke in the establishment of social work in South Africa (https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872807088083) have both been considered in relation to exclusion and erasure on the basis of race. Even where there are no allegations of deliberate exclusion, lack of access to formal higher education remains a reality for many talented people, some of whom find their way into supportive or ‘hidden’ roles in laboratories or in research teams.

In keeping with our interest in open science and recognising all participation in and contribution to the research process, the South African Journal of Science is establishing a discussion series highlighting hidden contributors to research. We also welcome pieces which engage with the politics and ethics of recognition of research contributions, challenges regarding authorship attribution, and anything which contributes to scholarly debate on questions of recognition and attribution in science as broadly understood. All submissions for the discussion series will be assessed by anonymous expert readers and by the editorial team; acceptance is not guaranteed in advance. We will consider short pieces adhering to our requirements for Commentaries. Please address any queries to Leslie Swartz at sajs.editor@assaf.org.za.

Deadline for submissions: 30 April 2026.