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When a journal falls off the education department list, academics shouldn’t pay the price

Daily Maverick · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 636 words · By Kablan Effossou
Academic Fairness Regulatory Policy Institutional accountability
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What to know about Academic Fairness

South Africa’s higher education system relies heavily on the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) accredited journal list to determine research subsidies, academic performance, promotion criteria and institutional prestige.

Claims checked 2
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

South Africa’s higher education system relies heavily on the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) accredited journal list to determine research subsidies, academic performance, promotion criteria and institutional prestige.

Why it matters

Academics are repeatedly encouraged to publish in journals that appear on the department’s list, often after lengthy peer review processes and significant financial and intellectual investment.

Common ground

But what happens when a researcher publishes in a journal that is accredited at the time of publication, only for that journal to be removed from the DHET list years later?

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Black-and-White Fallacy, Slippery Slope: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-07-28-when-a-journal-falls-off-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Black-and-White Fallacy 70% confidence
Presenting only two options when more exist.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing black-and-white fallacy helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Slippery Slope 70% confidence
Arguing that one event will inevitably lead to extreme consequences without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing slippery slope helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 2 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
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Claim 1: “South Africa’s higher education system relies heavily on the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) accredited journal list to determine research subsidies, academic performance, promotion criteria and institutional prestige.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources confirm that the DHET's accredited journal lists are used to determine research subsidies and institutional recognition. One source explicitly describes them as 'key tools' for communicating quality platforms for publication, and another confirms that recognition in these lists ensures work meets requirements for research subsidies.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Department of Education was one of the departments of the South African government until 2009, when it was divided into the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher Education and…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Education_(South…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Department of Higher Education and Training is one of the departments of the South African government. It oversees universities and other post-secondary education in South Africa. It was created i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Higher_Education…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Minister of Higher Education is the minister in the Cabinet of South Africa with responsibility for higher education in South Africa. The post was created as the Minister of Higher Education and T…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_of_Higher_Education_(…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 2: “Promotions, graduations, National Research Foundation ratings, performance assessments and institutional subsidies may have been awarded based on publications that were fully compliant with existing regulations at the time.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While the evidence confirms the existence of the NRF and its role in supporting research and human capacity development, none of the provided sources explicitly link NRF ratings, graduations, or promotions specifically to the DHET-accredited journal list. The provided NRF search results focus on supply chain management and general organizational purpose rather than the specific criteria for academic promotion or rating.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) is a non-profit organisation which publishes media audience and product/brand research on traditional media. It was formerly known as the South A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Audience_Researc…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — National Research Foundation may refer to: National Research Foundation (Greece) National Research Foundation (India) National Research Foundation (United Arab Emirates), a foundation to promote rese…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Research_Foundation
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Research Foundation (NRF) is a South African Schedule 3A public entity established by the National Research Foundation Act, 1998 to support and advance research, human capacity developmen…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Research_Foundation_(…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.