CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa

research institute

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 18, 2026
Entity authorityQ2044761 ↗
Source-derived summary

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA, French: Conseil pour le développement de la recherche en sciences sociales en Afrique) is a Pan-African research organisation headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. Lyn Ossome currently serves as the President of CODESRIA with Zubairu Wai recently appointed as the 8th Executive Secretary of the Council.

Background

CODESRIA was established in 1973. Its aim is to promote, facilitate and disseminate research (within the social sciences) throughout Africa and also to create a community in which members can work without barriers regarding language, country, age or gender. While CODESRIA is an active research organization it does not abstain from serving as a platform for political statements. Unlike many other organizations it does not agree with the traditional division of Africa in the social sciences where North Africa is often more or less left out, instead, it tries to equally represent the 5 regions in Africa (North Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa and South Africa).

To achieve their mission, CODESRIA cooperates with African institutes (e.g.: ERNWACA, FSS) and non-African institutes and organizations (e.g.: the ASC and the NAI). Funding is obtained through various donors ranging from the Dutch and Danish Foreign Ministries, the Senegalese Government, the Ford Foundation to the United Nations. In 1997 the organisation received one of the Prince Claus Awards.

CODESRIA has three governing organs, the General Assembly being the highest, followed by the Executive Committee (headed by Sam Moyo) and the Scientific Committee (headed by Takyiwaa Manuh), each with their own specific roles.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa” as research institute. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Council, Development and Social.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1973, 1997—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1973. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Council, Development and Social providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa”, the useful work is to connect “research institute” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2044761. VIAF identifies the subject as 155603651. The Library of Congress control number is n82218433. Authority coordinates are 14.690, -17.459. 4 of 6 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1973 and 1997.

Critical limits

The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa primary sources, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa archive and Council research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa”?
  2. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
  3. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.