Exploring the involvement of academic researchers in research collaboration with knowledge users – a study of two Ghanaian universities

Abstract

In the face of limited national innovation and competitiveness, it was imperative to examine research collaboration between academic researchers and knowledge users for attainment of a knowledge-based economy in Ghana. The study followed an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach to analyse survey data from proportionate stratified samples of academics from the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics, social sciences and arts and interview data from 11 key informants, from two public universities in Ghana. Through descriptive analysis and Kruskal-Wallis tests, it was established that involvement of academics in research collaboration was low. There was no statistically significant difference, at the p < .05 level, in the number of research collaboration across the three academic disciplines. Although the condition points to the existence of a wider knowledge filter, it presents the nation with the opportunity to institute the necessary measures to step up the uptake and commercialisation of research findings.