Science Explorer Back to mapMap
Discussion
Nonprofit · Harare · Zimbabwe

Practical Action

practicalaction.orgROR OpenAlex
World rank, all time
#30,074
of 34,923
Rank in Zimbabwe
#21
of 23
Research works
130
▲ 14% vs 2018-21
Citations
2.9k
22.0 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
9.7%
all institutions 10.0%
vs its own fields
1.01×
1.00× is exactly expected
Open access
40%
world 40%
International
39%
world 18%
Practical Action

Which fields of science does Practical Action work in?

In 2022-now, 36% of research at Practical Action is in Social Sciences, 36% in Health Sciences. Its largest fields are Medicine (23%), Social Sciences (19%), Agricultural and Biological Sciences (11%). It does 1.4× the world's share of Health Sciences.

Social Sciences: 11 fractional works · 36.2% of its workSocial Sciences: 6 fractional works · 19.0% of its workSociology and Political Science: 2 fractional works · 6.4% of its workUrban Studies: 1 fractional works · 3.5% of its workLaw: 1 fractional works · 3.1% of its workSafety Research: 1 fractional works · 2.5% of its workEducation: 0 fractional works · 1.1% of its workHealth: 0 fractional works · 1.0% of its workPublic Administration: 0 fractional works · 0.6% of its workGender Studies: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workDemography: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 2 fractional works · 6.5% of its workEconomics and Econometrics: 2 fractional works · 6.2% of its workFinance: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workBusiness, Management and Accounting: 2 fractional works · 5.3% of its workOrganizational Behavior and Human Resource Management: 2 fractional works · 5.3% of its workPsychology: 1 fractional works · 3.4% of its workClinical Psychology: 1 fractional works · 2.9% of its workSocial Psychology: 0 fractional works · 0.5% of its workArts and Humanities: 1 fractional works · 2.1% of its workMusic: 0 fractional works · 1.1% of its workReligious studies: 0 fractional works · 0.9% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workHealth Sciences: 11 fractional works · 36.0% of its workMedicine: 7 fractional works · 23.0% of its workInfectious Diseases: 2 fractional works · 7.0% of its workEpidemiology: 1 fractional works · 4.8% of its workPediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health: 1 fractional works · 4.1% of its workPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health: 1 fractional works · 2.7% of its workRadiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging: 0 fractional works · 1.3% of its workPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine: 0 fractional works · 0.8% of its workSurgery: 0 fractional works · 0.6% of its workGeriatrics and Gerontology: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workOncology: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workCardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workObstetrics and Gynecology: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.6% of its workHealth Professions: 3 fractional works · 9.1% of its workGeneral Health Professions: 3 fractional works · 9.0% of its workNursing: 1 fractional works · 3.9% of its workNutrition and Dietetics: 1 fractional works · 3.9% of its workLife Sciences: 5 fractional works · 15.8% of its workAgricultural and Biological Sciences: 3 fractional works · 11.3% of its workGeneral Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 1 fractional works · 4.0% of its workEcology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics: 1 fractional works · 2.8% of its workPlant Science: 0 fractional works · 1.6% of its workAnimal Science and Zoology: 0 fractional works · 1.1% of its workFood Science: 0 fractional works · 0.6% of its workSoil Science: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workForestry: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workAgronomy and Crop Science: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 1 fractional works · 2.2% of its workEndocrinology: 0 fractional works · 0.6% of its workGenetics: 0 fractional works · 0.6% of its workMolecular Biology: 0 fractional works · 0.6% of its workMolecular Medicine: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workImmunology and Microbiology: 1 fractional works · 1.9% of its workVirology: 0 fractional works · 1.0% of its workImmunology: 0 fractional works · 0.5% of its workApplied Microbiology and Biotechnology: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workToxicology: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workPhysical Sciences: 4 fractional works · 12.0% of its workEnvironmental Science: 3 fractional works · 10.3% of its workEcology: 1 fractional works · 2.8% of its workManagement, Monitoring, Policy and Law: 1 fractional works · 2.8% of its workGlobal and Planetary Change: 1 fractional works · 2.2% of its workNature and Landscape Conservation: 0 fractional works · 0.6% of its workPollution: 0 fractional works · 0.6% of its workHealth, Toxicology and Mutagenesis: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workEnvironmental Engineering: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workMathematics: 0 fractional works · 0.7% of its workModeling and Simulation: 0 fractional works · 0.7% of its workPhysics and Astronomy: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workAstronomy and Astrophysics: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workCondensed Matter Physics: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEngineering: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workBuilding and Construction: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workComputer Science: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workALL ITS WORKPractical Action29fractional works, 2022-now
Life Sciences16%Physical Sciences12%Health Sciences36%Social Sciences36%

Each ring splits the one inside it: the four domains of science, their fields, their subfields. Size is fractional works in 2022-now. Every slice is a page; the interactive view zooms down to single topics and colours each by how much more of it this institution does than the world.

Its 4 domains and 17 fields, with their numbers
    1. Social Sciences619.0%
    2. Economics, Econometrics and Finance26.5%
    3. Business, Management and Accounting25.3%
    4. Psychology13.4%
    5. Arts and Humanities12.1%
    1. Medicine723.0%
    2. Health Professions39.1%
    3. Nursing13.9%
    1. Agricultural and Biological Sciences311.3%
    2. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology12.2%
    3. Immunology and Microbiology11.9%
    4. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics00.4%
    1. Environmental Science310.3%
    2. Mathematics00.7%
    3. Physics and Astronomy00.4%
    4. Engineering00.4%
    5. Computer Science00.2%
All of science, and how each field's share has moved since 1950: the Science domain explorer

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 2.38× its world share, 3 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.41× its world share, 1 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 1.89× its world share, 1 worksImmunology and Micro…Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 1.08× its world share, 0 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Computer Science: 0.02× its world share, 0 worksComputer ScienceEngineering: 0.03× its world share, 0 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 2.08× its world share, 3 worksEnvironmental ScienceMathematics: 0.62× its world share, 0 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.21× its world share, 0 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 3.44× its world share, 3 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 1.19× its world share, 7 worksMedicineNursing: 8.03× its world share, 1 worksNursingArts and Humanities: 0.71× its world share, 1 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 1.64× its world share, 2 worksBusiness, Management…Economics, Econometrics and Finance: 3.04× its world share, 2 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.11× its world share, 1 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 1.50× its world share, 6 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Nursing, 8.0×. Every wedge is a field page.

All 17 fields, with their numbers
  1. Nursing8.03×1 works
  2. Health Professions3.44×3 works
  3. Economics, Econometrics and Finance3.04×2 works
  4. Agricultural and Biological Sciences2.38×3 works
  5. Environmental Science2.08×3 works
  6. Immunology and Microbiology1.89×1 works
  7. Business, Management and Accounting1.64×2 works
  8. Social Sciences1.50×6 works
  9. Medicine1.19×7 works
  10. Psychology1.11×1 works
  11. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics1.08×0 works
  12. Arts and Humanities0.71×1 works
  13. Mathematics0.62×0 works
  14. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology0.41×1 works
  15. Physics and Astronomy0.21×0 works
  16. Engineering0.03×0 works
  17. Computer Science0.02×0 works

Who are the top researchers at Practical Action?

Ranked on the quality score, Andrew T. Mushita, Charles Mutasa and T. N. C. Mangwiro lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Practical Action.

  1. 1 Andrew T. Mushita Zimbabwe · #3,600,176 worldwide 74 citations · 24 works
  2. 2 Charles Mutasa Zimbabwe · #3,607,111 worldwide 27 citations · 16 works
  3. 3 T. N. C. Mangwiro Zimbabwe · #3,613,989 worldwide 502 citations · 17 works
  4. 4 Marguerite Holloway Zimbabwe · #6,601,199 worldwide 600 citations · 110 works
All ranked researchers at Practical Action

What are the most cited papers from Practical Action?

The most cited paper from Practical Action is "Understanding the factors influencing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantifying its impact on yield. A case study in Eastern Zimbabwe" (Frédéric Baudron, Mainassara Zaman‐Allah, Isaac Chaipa et al., 2019), with 353 citations. Next come "Forecasting Zimbabwean maize yield using eastern equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature" (332) and "A Surprising Prevention Success: Why Did the HIV Epidemic Decline in Zimbabwe?" (200).

Most cited papers
#PaperReleasedCitations
1 Understanding the factors influencing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantifying its impact on yield. A case study in Eastern Zimbabwe Frédéric Baudron, Mainassara Zaman‐Allah, Isaac Chaipa et al. · Crop Protection Open access 26 Jan 2019 353
2 Forecasting Zimbabwean maize yield using eastern equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature Mark A. Cane, Gidon Eshel, R. W. Buckland · Nature Jul 1994 332
3 A Surprising Prevention Success: Why Did the HIV Epidemic Decline in Zimbabwe? Daniel T. Halperin, Owen M. Mugurungi, Timothy B. Hallett et al. · PLoS Medicine Open access 8 Feb 2011 200
4 Maternal exposure to biomass smoke and reduced birth weight in Zimbabwe Vinod Mishra, Xiaolei Dai, Kirk R. Smith et al. · Annals of Epidemiology 29 Jun 2004 185
5 Effectiveness of community adolescent treatment supporters (CATS) interventions in improving linkage and retention in care, adherence to ART and psychosocial well-being: a randomised trial among adolescents living with HIV in rural Zimbabwe Nicola Willis, Amos Milanzi, Mather Mawodzeke et al. · BMC Public Health Open access 28 Jan 2019 154
All 63 most cited papers, with filters and sorting

Which keywords describe research at Practical Action?

By fractional works in 2022-now, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Climate Change, Antiretroviral Therapy, Child Development, Smallholder Farmers, Social Justice, Sustainable Agriculture, Global Burden of Disease and Human Rights.

▲ more of its work than of the world's◆ about the world's share▼ less than the world's

Size is fractional works in 2022-now in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 31 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 31 words, with their numbers
  1. Climate Change3▲ 3.5×19 topics
  2. Epidemiology2▲ 1.72×14 topics
  3. Antiretroviral Therapy2▲ 33×6 topics
  4. Mental Health2▲ 3.9×10 topics
  5. Human Rights2▲ 4.9×6 topics
  6. Child Development1▲ 12×3 topics
  7. Smallholder Farmers1▲ 22×3 topics
  8. Globalization1▲ 2.2×8 topics
  9. Social Justice1▲ 7.7×5 topics
  10. Sustainability1▲ 1.81×11 topics
  11. Sustainable Agriculture1▲ 15×3 topics
  12. Agricultural Innovation1▲ 86×1 topic
  13. Global Burden of Disease1▲ 17×2 topics
  14. Immune Response1▲ 7.1×6 topics
  15. Livelihood Diversification1▲ 127×1 topic
  16. Political Economy1▲ 16×2 topics
  17. Public Health1▲ 2.7×8 topics
  18. Sustainable Development1▲ 2.5×5 topics
  19. Community Health Workers1▲ 42×2 topics
  20. HIV Transmission1▲ 49×1 topic
  21. Maternal and Child Undernutrition1▲ 48×1 topic
  22. Preexposure Prophylaxis1▲ 76×1 topic
  23. Social Media1▲ 2.7×3 topics
  24. Urbanization1▲ 9.6×3 topics
  25. Water Sanitation Hygiene1▲ 48×1 topic
  26. Child Mortality1▲ 49×1 topic
  27. Colonialism1▲ 7.3×2 topics
  28. Employer Branding1▲ 290×1 topic
  29. Health Systems1▲ 49×1 topic
  30. Maternal Mortality1▲ 16×2 topics
  31. Recruitment1▲ 290×1 topic

Which research topics does Practical Action publish most on?

By volume in 2022-now: Child Nutrition and Water Access, Agricultural Innovations and Practices, HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions and Employer Branding and e-HRM.

Child Nutrition and Wate…1Child Nutrition and Water Access: 1 fractional worksAgricultural Innovations…1Agricultural Innovations and Practices: 1 fractional worksHIV/AIDS Research and Interventions: 1 fractional worksEmployer Branding and e-…1Employer Branding and e-HRM: 1 fractional worksGlobal Maternal and Chil…1Global Maternal and Child Health: 1 fractional worksUrban and Rural Development Challenges: 1 fractional worksAfrican studies and sociopolitical issues: 1 fractional worksAdolescent Sexual and Re…1Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: 1 fractional worksPoverty, Education, and Child Welfare: 1 fractional worksLegal Issues in South Africa: 1 fractional works
Nutrition and DieteticsGeneral Agricultural and Biological SciencesInfectious DiseasesOrganizational Behavior and Human Resource Management6 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Child Nutrition and Water Access Nutrition and Dietetics 1 works
  2. 2 Agricultural Innovations and Practices General Agricultural and Biological Sciences 1 works
  3. 3 HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions Infectious Diseases 1 works
  4. 4 Employer Branding and e-HRM Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management 1 works
  5. 5 Global Maternal and Child Health Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health 1 works
  6. 6 Urban and Rural Development Challenges Urban Studies 1 works
  7. 7 African studies and sociopolitical issues Sociology and Political Science 1 works
  8. 8 Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health General Health Professions 1 works
  9. 9 Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare Safety Research 1 works
  10. 10 Legal Issues in South Africa Law 1 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world's own shares: the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available39.5%not open60.5%

World: 40% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors39.0%domestic only61.0%

World: 18% is written across borders.

How has Practical Action's research output changed?

Output in 2022-2025 was 14% higher than in 2018-2021.

still counting1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon: one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Its share of all research

Growing output can still be a shrinking share: all of science grows. This is Practical Action as a percentage of every work published that year, 0.000100% in 2024.

still counting0.00025%0.00050%0.00075%Practical Action0.000095% in 202519801990200020102020

Fractional works of Practical Action over all fractional works that year. How the balance of science has shifted.

Other research institutions in Harare

All research institutions in Harare

Share Practical Action's ranking

Practical Action on Science Explorer

A card with Practical Action's standing and the fields it leads in, for a post or a slide. A link to this page previews as the same card.

Download the card

1200 × 630 PNG, sized for social posts, drawn from the latest snapshot.

Badges for a website1Each links back here and updates with every snapshot

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners have tabs of their own, above.

Discussion

Ask a question or share a note about Practical Action. Posts are plain text and can be reported.