Governing science through instruments : What “indexes” do to African science

This article analyzes how scientific indexing is gradually evolving into a quality label within the evaluation economies of French-speaking sub Saharan Africa, even though it was originally designed as an infrastructure for organizing and discovering scientific literature. This transformation has significant implications for local journals. Drawing on the phenomenon of journal websites displaying a patchwork of logos, badges, and diverse indexes, the article uncovers a grammar of recognition under constraint in which technical markers gradually become markers of value. This work is guided by the hypothesis that a structuring confusion between indexing, referencing, and citation guides visibility strategies and fuels a shift toward dubious and potentially predatory practices. By linking the political economy of evaluation with decolonial reading, the article demonstrates that the quest for indexing functions both as a galvanizing rallying cry and as a trap that redefines editorial practices and publication trajectories.