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HSRC Annual Report 2016/17
The discussions were centred on an HSRC Policy Brief, published in February 2016, entitled“Traditional male circumcision:
How to prevent deaths and complications”. This policy brief was based on research conducted between 2009 and 2013
by Dr Mbuyiselo Douglas and colleagues in Libode in the Eastern Cape Province.
A key outcome of the seminar was the recognition that an important first step would be to consider the integration of
medical male circumcision into traditional male circumcision because the model presents a plausible solution to deaths
due to circumcision. It was also acknowledged that there is a need to incorporate this into the existing initiation process.
As part of its policy brief dissemination strategy, RIA is both creating platforms for policymakers and researchers to discuss
and debate the policy implications of research, and systematically documenting the utilisation of policy briefs. This is
part of an agreed framework for tracking the HSRC’s presence and impact at the research-policy nexus.
Developing research impact guidelines
During the period under review, a RIA team conducted research and developed research impact guidelines for the
HSRC’s use in quantifying its influence, demonstrating a return on investment and improving accountability to taxpayers.
Various approaches and methods were examined, including the Research Impact Pathways and Payback Models, and
various national research evaluation systems were studied, including the UK’s Research Excellence Framework and
the Netherlands’ Standard Evaluation Protocols. The project investigated the various kinds of indicators and evidence
(metrics, narratives, surveys, testimonials and citations) used to assess research impact.
The guidelines that have been developed will be incorporated into the HSRC’s Research Project Management Framework
and the associated Research Management System.
Recognising contributions to the social sciences and humanities
To recognise scientists and researchers who have contributed positively to the social sciences and humanities, the HSRC
established the HSRC Medal for the Social Sciences and Humanities in 2016. The inaugural medal was awarded to the
renowned scholar, Professor Njabulo Ndebele.
The Medal is awarded on an annual basis to a scholar who has made an outstanding contribution through his/her research
and publications in any discipline and field in the social sciences and humanities. Overarching criteria for consideration
are: a record of sustained academic excellence in the social sciences and humanities; an international reputation for his/
her scholarship; a strong record of contribution to the public understanding of social sciences and/or humanities; and
evidence of meaningful, impactful work over a period of time, e.g. impact on public policy and community interventions.
HSRC Press
HSRC Press is a leading scholarly book publisher in Africa, publishing books from and about the continent and the global
south. Its publications in the social sciences and humanities present relevant and evidence-based analysis, and are sold
and distributed worldwide, as well as made freely available on the publisher’s open access platform. The quality and
brand of HSRC Press have a strong international reputation, and are recognised for advancing scholarship and society.
Books are published under two imprints, HSRC Press and Best Red. New African Thinkers was fully subsidised by the
research programme.