| Abstract: | protection of rights of faculty to teach and of students to learn, but also the freedom
to create and disseminate knowledge. The literature, especially in Africa, mainly
portrays the violation of academic freedom due to external interference into
universities’ autonomous functioning. However, this article, by focusing on
academic publications and the peer review process, suggests that the internal
governance of HEIs also has equally serious implications on academic freedom. By
analyzing data collected from editors, reviewers and researchers of three research
institutions that publish reputable journals at the Addis Ababa University, this
article reveals that peer review mechanisms in academic institutions constrain the
production of knowledge and, hence, undermine academic freedom. |
