Decolonising literature searching means changing the way we look for academic information. It involves including knowledge that is often left out - such as research from the Global South, Indigenous communities and under-represented authors.
Database coverage: Traditional academic databases index more journals from North America and Europe than from Africa, Asia, or Latin America.
Language dominance: English-language publications are prioritised, making non-English research harder to find.
Biased indexing: Subject headings are often based on Western worldviews, which can marginalise or misrepresent Global South knowledge systems.
Authorship and Editorial control: Journals often have editorial boards dominated by scholars from Global North institutions.
Citation practices: Research from the Global North is more frequently cited, reinforcing visibility and perceived authority.