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University · Harare · Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Open University

In research, Zimbabwe Open University stands highest in Social Sciences (#3,220 of 9,585 worldwide) and Social Sciences (#4,068 of 5,988 worldwide), 2022-now.

zou.ac.zwROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022-now
#8,076
of 22,385 · #15,104 all time
Rank in Zimbabwe
#7
of 17
Research works
1k
▲ 25% vs 2018-21
Citations
3.4k
3.3 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
6.1%
all institutions 10.0%
vs its own fields
0.93×
1.00× is exactly expected
Open access
63%
world 40%
International
14%
world 18%
Zimbabwe Open University

What is Zimbabwe Open University known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022-now, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Social SciencesDomain #3,220 of 9,585 6.5%206 #7051
Social SciencesField #4,068 of 5,988 5.6%126 #6189

Each strip is that field's whole ranked pool, with the notch where Zimbabwe Open University sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no average mark, because the average differs by field (from about 6% in Dentistry to 21% in Economics).

Which fields of science does Zimbabwe Open University work in?

In 2022-now, 73% of research at Zimbabwe Open University is in Social Sciences, 11% in Physical Sciences. Its largest fields are Social Sciences (45%), Business, Management and Accounting (12%), Agricultural and Biological Sciences (9%). It does 2.9× the world's share of Social Sciences.

Social Sciences: 249 fractional works · 72.6% of its workSocial Sciences: 156 fractional works · 45.4% of its workSociology and Political Science: 55 fractional works · 16.1% of its workEducation: 49 fractional works · 14.3% of its workPolitical Science and International Relations: 8 fractional works · 2.5% of its workSafety Research: 8 fractional works · 2.3% of its workGender Studies: 7 fractional works · 1.9% of its workCommunication: 5 fractional works · 1.5% of its workAnthropology: 4 fractional works · 1.1% of its workDemography: 4 fractional works · 1.1% of its workLaw: 3 fractional works · 1.0% of its workHuman Factors and Ergonomics: 3 fractional works · 0.8% of its workUrban Studies: 2 fractional works · 0.6% of its workLibrary and Information Sciences: 2 fractional works · 0.5% of its workDevelopment: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workCultural Studies: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workHealth: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 2 fractional works · 0.7% of its workBusiness, Management and Accounting: 42 fractional works · 12.2% of its workAccounting: 11 fractional works · 3.1% of its workStrategy and Management: 8 fractional works · 2.5% of its workManagement Information Systems: 7 fractional works · 2.1% of its workOrganizational Behavior and Human Resource Management: 7 fractional works · 1.9% of its workMarketing: 6 fractional works · 1.7% of its workManagement of Technology and Innovation: 2 fractional works · 0.7% of its workBusiness and International Management: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 15 fractional works · 4.4% of its workEconomics and Econometrics: 11 fractional works · 3.3% of its workFinance: 3 fractional works · 0.8% of its workGeneral Economics, Econometrics and Finance: 1 fractional works · 0.4% of its workArts and Humanities: 15 fractional works · 4.3% of its workReligious studies: 4 fractional works · 1.3% of its workConservation: 3 fractional works · 0.8% of its workPhilosophy: 2 fractional works · 0.6% of its workArcheology: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workMusic: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workLiterature and Literary Theory: 1 fractional works · 0.4% of its workHistory: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workPsychology: 11 fractional works · 3.3% of its workClinical Psychology: 4 fractional works · 1.2% of its workDevelopmental and Educational Psychology: 4 fractional works · 1.1% of its workSocial Psychology: 3 fractional works · 0.9% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workDecision Sciences: 10 fractional works · 3.0% of its workManagement Science and Operations Research: 7 fractional works · 2.0% of its workInformation Systems and Management: 3 fractional works · 1.0% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workPhysical Sciences: 39 fractional works · 11.4% of its workComputer Science: 16 fractional works · 4.5% of its workInformation Systems: 9 fractional works · 2.5% of its workArtificial Intelligence: 4 fractional works · 1.1% of its workComputer Science Applications: 2 fractional works · 0.5% of its workComputer Networks and Communications: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEnvironmental Science: 14 fractional works · 4.1% of its workManagement, Monitoring, Policy and Law: 4 fractional works · 1.3% of its workEcology: 4 fractional works · 1.0% of its workGlobal and Planetary Change: 3 fractional works · 0.8% of its workPollution: 1 fractional works · 0.4% of its workIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workWater Science and Technology: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEngineering: 6 fractional works · 1.7% of its workBuilding and Construction: 3 fractional works · 0.9% of its workControl and Systems Engineering: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 2 fractional works · 0.6% of its workMathematics: 3 fractional works · 0.9% of its workModeling and Simulation: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workApplied Mathematics: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.4% of its workEnergy: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workChemical Engineering: 0 fractional works · 0.0% of its workLife Sciences: 34 fractional works · 10.0% of its workAgricultural and Biological Sciences: 32 fractional works · 9.3% of its workPlant Science: 8 fractional works · 2.5% of its workGeneral Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 7 fractional works · 2.2% of its workEcology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics: 5 fractional works · 1.5% of its workSoil Science: 4 fractional works · 1.3% of its workAgronomy and Crop Science: 3 fractional works · 0.8% of its workFood Science: 1 fractional works · 0.4% of its workAnimal Science and Zoology: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workForestry: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.1% of its workBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 1 fractional works · 0.4% of its workGenetics: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workImmunology and Microbiology: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workNeuroscience: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workHealth Sciences: 20 fractional works · 5.9% of its workMedicine: 10 fractional works · 2.9% of its workHealth Informatics: 2 fractional works · 0.7% of its workPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health: 2 fractional works · 0.6% of its workPediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health: 2 fractional works · 0.5% of its workInfectious Diseases: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 3 fractional works · 0.9% of its workHealth Professions: 10 fractional works · 2.8% of its workGeneral Health Professions: 5 fractional works · 1.5% of its workPhysical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation: 3 fractional works · 0.8% of its workOccupational Therapy: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workNursing: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workALL ITS WORKZimbabwe OpenUniversity343fractional works, 2022-now
Life Sciences10%Physical Sciences11%Health Sciences6%Social Sciences73%

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 20 fields, with their numbers
    1. Social Sciences15645.4%
    2. Business, Management and Accounting4212.2%
    3. Economics, Econometrics and Finance154.4%
    4. Arts and Humanities154.3%
    5. Psychology113.3%
    6. Decision Sciences103.0%
    1. Computer Science164.5%
    2. Environmental Science144.1%
    3. Engineering61.7%
    4. Mathematics30.9%
    5. Energy00.1%
    6. Chemical Engineering00.0%
    1. Agricultural and Biological Sciences329.3%
    2. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology10.4%
    3. Immunology and Microbiology10.2%
    4. Neuroscience00.1%
    1. Medicine102.9%
    2. Health Professions102.8%
    3. Nursing10.2%
    4. Veterinary00.0%
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: 1.95× its world share, 32 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.08× its world share, 2 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.16× its world share, 1 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.09× its world share, 0 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 0.14× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringComputer Science: 0.58× its world share, 16 worksComputer ScienceEnergy: 0.13× its world share, 0 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.11× its world share, 6 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.83× its world share, 14 worksEnvironmental ScienceMathematics: 0.74× its world share, 3 worksMathematicsHealth Professions: 1.08× its world share, 10 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.15× its world share, 10 worksMedicineNursing: 0.35× its world share, 1 worksNursingVeterinary: 0.07× its world share, 0 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 1.48× its world share, 15 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 3.78× its world share, 42 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 3.11× its world share, 10 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 2.07× its world share, 15 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.09× its world share, 11 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 3.59× its world share, 156 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Business, Management and Accounting, 3.8×. Every wedge is a field page.

All 20 fields, with their numbers
  1. Business, Management and Accounting3.78×42 works
  2. Social Sciences3.59×156 works
  3. Decision Sciences3.11×10 works
  4. Economics, Econometrics and Finance2.07×15 works
  5. Agricultural and Biological Sciences1.95×32 works
  6. Arts and Humanities1.48×15 works
  7. Psychology1.09×11 works
  8. Health Professions1.08×10 works
  9. Environmental Science0.83×14 works
  10. Mathematics0.74×3 works
  11. Computer Science0.58×16 works
  12. Nursing0.35×1 works
  13. Immunology and Microbiology0.16×1 works
  14. Medicine0.15×10 works
  15. Chemical Engineering0.14×0 works
  16. Energy0.13×0 works
  17. Engineering0.11×6 works
  18. Neuroscience0.09×0 works
  19. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology0.08×2 works
  20. Veterinary0.07×0 works

Who are the top researchers at Zimbabwe Open University?

Ranked on the quality score, Andrew Tapiwa Kugedera, Molly Manyonganise and Stephen Tsekea lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Zimbabwe Open University.

  1. 1 Andrew Tapiwa Kugedera Zimbabwe · #1,205,739 worldwide 305 citations · 42 works
  2. 2 Molly Manyonganise Zimbabwe · #1,455,131 worldwide 301 citations · 63 works
  3. 3 Stephen Tsekea Zimbabwe · #1,889,655 worldwide 136 citations · 16 works
  4. 4 Vincent Itai Tanyanyiwa Zimbabwe · #2,137,848 worldwide 231 citations · 53 works
  5. 5 Godfrey Tsvuura Zimbabwe · #2,714,216 worldwide 64 citations · 17 works
  6. 6 Jabulani Mpofu Zimbabwe · #2,973,383 worldwide 153 citations · 33 works
  7. 7 Victor Chaboneka Ngwenya Zimbabwe · #2,977,188 worldwide 106 citations · 24 works
  8. 8 Letticia Kudzai Kokerai Zimbabwe · #3,178,086 worldwide 81 citations · 19 works
  9. 9 Angeline Mavis Madongonda Zimbabwe · #3,391,693 worldwide 15 citations · 23 works
  10. 10 Regis Misheal Muchowe Zimbabwe · #3,510,214 worldwide 34 citations · 42 works
All ranked researchers at Zimbabwe Open University

What are the most cited papers from Zimbabwe Open University?

The most cited paper from Zimbabwe Open University is "Some biochemical aspects pertaining to beef eating quality and consumer health: A review" (Voster Muchenje, K. Dzama, M. Chimonyo et al., 2008), with 383 citations. Next come "Problem-solving therapy for depression and common mental disorders in Zimbabwe: piloting a task-shifting primary mental health care intervention in a population with a high prevalence of people living with HIV" (336) and "Meat quality of Nguni, Bonsmara and Aberdeen Angus steers raised on natural pasture in the Eastern Cape, South Africa" (171).

Most cited papers
#PaperReleasedCitations
1 Some biochemical aspects pertaining to beef eating quality and consumer health: A review Voster Muchenje, K. Dzama, M. Chimonyo et al. · Food Chemistry 6 Jun 2008 383
2 Problem-solving therapy for depression and common mental disorders in Zimbabwe: piloting a task-shifting primary mental health care intervention in a population with a high prevalence of people living with HIV Dixon Chibanda, Petra Mesu, Lazarus Kajawu et al. · BMC Public Health Open access 26 Oct 2011 336
3 Meat quality of Nguni, Bonsmara and Aberdeen Angus steers raised on natural pasture in the Eastern Cape, South Africa Voster Muchenje, K. Dzama, M. Chimonyo et al. · Meat Science 31 Jul 2007 171
4 Non-consumptive effects of predation in large terrestrial mammals: Mapping our knowledge and revealing the tip of the iceberg Elise Say‐Sallaz, Simon Chamaillé‐Jammes, Hervé Fritz et al. · Biological Conservation Open access 13 Apr 2019 126
5 Tick susceptibility and its effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics of Nguni, Bonsmara and Angus steers raised on natural pasture Voster Muchenje, K. Dzama, M. Chimonyo et al. · animal Open access 2008 120
All 60 most cited papers, with filters and sorting

Which keywords describe research at Zimbabwe Open University?

By fractional works in 2022-now, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Colonialism, Social Justice, Nationalism, Political Economy, History, Land Reform, Agrarian Relations and Zimbabwe.

▲ 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 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Colonialism36▲ 22×7 topics
  2. Social Justice35▲ 17×12 topics
  3. Nationalism31▲ 20×5 topics
  4. Political Economy30▲ 35×5 topics
  5. History29▲ 12×4 topics
  6. Land Reform29▲ 180×2 topics
  7. Agrarian Relations28▲ 881×1 topic
  8. Zimbabwe28▲ 881×1 topic
  9. Sustainability18▲ 2.2×30 topics
  10. Sustainable Development18▲ 3.4×24 topics
  11. Climate Change18▲ 1.92×26 topics
  12. Globalization18▲ 2.6×31 topics
  13. Education14▲ 2.5×19 topics
  14. Educational Technology12▲ 3.0×14 topics
  15. Technology Integration12▲ 11×8 topics
  16. Corporate Governance12▲ 4.8×14 topics
  17. Social Capital12▲ 6.5×10 topics
  18. Leadership10▲ 6.2×9 topics
  19. Development10▲ 8.3×7 topics
  20. Higher Education10▲ 5.5×13 topics
  21. Qualitative Research10▲ 3.4×17 topics
  22. Human Rights10▲ 2.8×13 topics
  23. Supply Chain Management10▲ 3.1×9 topics
  24. Poverty Reduction9▲ 21×5 topics
  25. Sustainable Agriculture8▲ 7.6×7 topics
  26. Teacher Professional Development8▲ 14×4 topics
  27. Gender Equality8▲ 7.9×7 topics
  28. Religion8▲ 4.8×9 topics
  29. Smallholder Farmers8▲ 10×4 topics
  30. Postcolonialism7▲ 15×6 topics
  31. Professional Development7▲ 10×8 topics
  32. Adaptation7▲ 7.1×4 topics
  33. Gender Inequality7▲ 15×6 topics
  34. Rural Development7▲ 5.7×6 topics
  35. NGOs6▲ 20×4 topics
  36. Social Networks6▲ 6.5×4 topics
  37. Technology Adoption6▲ 9.6×2 topics
  38. Professional Learning Communities6▲ 34×2 topics
  39. Reflective Practice6▲ 8.9×3 topics
  40. Educational Leadership6▲ 13×2 topics

Which research topics does Zimbabwe Open University publish most on?

By volume in 2022-now: African studies and sociopolitical issues, African cultural and philosophical studies, Agricultural Innovations and Practices and Teacher Education and Leadership Studies.

African studies and soci…28African studies and sociopolitical issues: 28 fractional worksAfrican cultural and philosophical studies: 5 fractional worksAgricultural Innovations and Practices: 5 fractional worksTeacher Education and Leadership Studies: 5 fractional worksReligion, Society, and Development: 5 fractional worksCOVID-19 Pandemic Impacts: 4 fractional worksPoverty, Education, and Child Welfare: 4 fractional worksBusiness Strategies and Management Research: 4 fractional worksMedia Studies and Communication: 4 fractional worksEducation Systems and Policy: 3 fractional works
Sociology and Political ScienceEducationGeneral Agricultural and Biological SciencesEconomics and Econometrics3 others

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

  1. 1 African studies and sociopolitical issues Sociology and Political Science 28 works
  2. 2 African cultural and philosophical studies Education 5 works
  3. 3 Agricultural Innovations and Practices General Agricultural and Biological Sciences 5 works
  4. 4 Teacher Education and Leadership Studies Education 5 works
  5. 5 Religion, Society, and Development Sociology and Political Science 5 works
  6. 6 COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts Economics and Econometrics 4 works
  7. 7 Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare Safety Research 4 works
  8. 8 Business Strategies and Management Research Management Science and Operations Research 4 works
  9. 9 Media Studies and Communication Communication 4 works
  10. 10 Education Systems and Policy Education 3 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 available62.7%not open37.3%

World: 40% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors13.7%domestic only86.3%

World: 18% is written across borders.

How has Zimbabwe Open University's research output changed?

Output in 2022-2025 was 25% 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 Zimbabwe Open University as a percentage of every work published that year, 0.0011% in 2024.

still counting0.0010%0.0020%0.0030%Zimbabwe Open University0.0013% in 202519801990200020102020

Fractional works of Zimbabwe Open University over all fractional works that year. How the balance of science has shifted.

How much of it reaches the world top 10%

Year by year, against all institutions in the same year.

still counting5%10%15%all institutions10.0% in 2025Zimbabwe Open University7.7% in 20252020

Of each year's output, the share that reached the world's 10% most cited for its field and year. Peak 7.7% in 2025.

Other research institutions in Harare

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Zimbabwe Open University on Science Explorer

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

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