By Isaiah Nyagumbo/CIMMYT
Agronomy scientists got practical, hands-on advice on translating their research data into credible scientific publications during a five-day workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The 13 scientists have been conducting research for the past four years addressing sustainable intensification in Africa using conservation agriculture and improved maize and legume varieties as part of the SIMLESA program, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. The goal of the workshop was to help them accelerate production of publications based on their research.
Participants met with biometricians one-on-one to discuss the data and experiments they wanted to analyze, and the outputs of the statistical analyses for each data set were shared in feedback sessions. Feyissa Mekonnen, data manager for CIMMYT’s Global Conservation Agriculture Program and Socioeconomics Program, assisted with the analysis of the data, which was collected under objective 2 during phase 1 of SIMLESA. In the final session, participants received some hints on how to present statistical results in scientific publications.
Dr. Mulugetta Mekuria, the SIMLESA program coordinator, emphasized the need to transform research data into scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals for the benefit of the scientific and development communities. All the participants confirmed to Dr. Mekuria that they would complete draft papers by the end of July.
The workshop, held 26-31 May, was attended by scientists from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, organized by regional CIMMYT scientists Dr. Fred Kanampiu and Dr. Isaiah Nyagumbo and facilitated by five biometricians from the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa led by Yolisa Pakela-Jezille. It ended with a social event for participants and CIMMYT staff where Dr. Mekuria bid farewell to Dr. Kanampiu, who will be leaving CIMMYT at the end of July after 17 years.
Capacity development 