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Designing a course model for distance-based online bioinformatics training in Africa: The H3ABioNet experience

Overview of attention for article published in PLoS Computational Biology, October 2017
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About this Attention Score

  • In the top 25% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (86th percentile)
  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (64th percentile)

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64 Mendeley
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Title
Designing a course model for distance-based online bioinformatics training in Africa: The H3ABioNet experience
Published in
PLoS Computational Biology, October 2017
DOI 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005715
Pubmed ID
Authors

Kim T. Gurwitz, Shaun Aron, Sumir Panji, Suresh Maslamoney, Pedro L. Fernandes, David P. Judge, Amel Ghouila, Jean-Baka Domelevo Entfellner, Fatma Z. Guerfali, Colleen Saunders, Ahmed Mansour Alzohairy, Samson P. Salifu, Rehab Ahmed, Ruben Cloete, Jonathan Kayondo, Deogratius Ssemwanga, Nicola Mulder

Abstract

Africa is not unique in its need for basic bioinformatics training for individuals from a diverse range of academic backgrounds. However, particular logistical challenges in Africa, most notably access to bioinformatics expertise and internet stability, must be addressed in order to meet this need on the continent. H3ABioNet (www.h3abionet.org), the Pan African Bioinformatics Network for H3Africa, has therefore developed an innovative, free-of-charge "Introduction to Bioinformatics" course, taking these challenges into account as part of its educational efforts to provide on-site training and develop local expertise inside its network. A multiple-delivery-mode learning model was selected for this 3-month course in order to increase access to (mostly) African, expert bioinformatics trainers. The content of the course was developed to include a range of fundamental bioinformatics topics at the introductory level. For the first iteration of the course (2016), classrooms with a total of 364 enrolled participants were hosted at 20 institutions across 10 African countries. To ensure that classroom success did not depend on stable internet, trainers pre-recorded their lectures, and classrooms downloaded and watched these locally during biweekly contact sessions. The trainers were available via video conferencing to take questions during contact sessions, as well as via online "question and discussion" forums outside of contact session time. This learning model, developed for a resource-limited setting, could easily be adapted to other settings.

X Demographics

X Demographics

The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 25 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 64 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 64 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 10 16%
Researcher 8 13%
Student > Master 6 9%
Student > Bachelor 6 9%
Student > Doctoral Student 6 9%
Other 16 25%
Unknown 12 19%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 17 27%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 8 13%
Medicine and Dentistry 6 9%
Social Sciences 6 9%
Nursing and Health Professions 2 3%
Other 13 20%
Unknown 12 19%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 15. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 07 September 2022.
All research outputs
#2,460,442
of 25,382,440 outputs
Outputs from PLoS Computational Biology
#2,218
of 8,960 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#46,053
of 330,919 outputs
Outputs of similar age from PLoS Computational Biology
#58
of 165 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,382,440 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 90th percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 8,960 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 20.4. This one has done well, scoring higher than 75% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 330,919 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 86% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 165 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 64% of its contemporaries.