Discourse and Access: Mapping Knowledge Production in a Southern Open Access Journal

Kenneth Paul  Charman; Mansoureh Bahadori

doi:10.63029/ahpwaz10

Authors

Kenneth Paul Charman CamEd Business School Author https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3204-3010
Mansoureh Bahadori CamEd Business School Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4668-6046

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63029/ahpwaz10

Keywords:

Open access publishing, Epistemic inequality, Knowledge production, Discourse analysis, topic modelling, Global South, Deetz discourse model, Epistemological diversity

Abstract

This study investigates the types of research discourses and thematic content published in a Southern open access journal, exploring whether such journals offer space for diverse epistemologies or reinforce dominant, technocratic paradigms. Topic modelling (LDA and NMF) was used to identify dominant themes, while qualitative discourse analysis, using Deetz’s (1996) four-quadrant model, was employed to classify epistemological orientations as normative, interpretive, critical, or dialogical. The results reveal a predominance of normative discourse, with limited representation of interpretive and critical perspectives and no dialogical contributions. Thematic analysis shows a focus on performance, governance, and technocratic solutions. These patterns suggest that open access publishing in the Global South, while expanding access, may reproduce global epistemic hierarchies and marginalize alternative modes of inquiry.

Author Biographies

Kenneth Paul Charman, CamEd Business School

Kenneth Paul Charman is a professor of strategy at CamEd Business School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he has been based since 2018. Prior to this he taught for over a decade in Kazakhstan, where he was instrumental in establishing Central Asia’s first international business school. He has managed several development projects for the multinational donor organizations, including many projects for the EU EuropeAid. He has an MBA and a doctorate in international business from London Business School, and he was appointed as a Visiting Research Fellow at the Royal Institution of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2012. His current research interests focus on creating shared value, ESG, joint ventures, and public enterprises, and now focuses on developing case studies for teaching and research.
Mansoureh Bahadori, CamEd Business School

Mansoureh Bahadori is a lecturer in English for Academic Purposes at CamEd Business School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and a doctoral candidate in Organizational Leadership at Meridian University, USA. With over 12 years of teaching experience and qualifications including CELTA and iPGCE, she has worked extensively in international education settings. Her teaching supports business students—particularly in finance and accounting—in developing academic writing and communication skills. Her research interests in‐ clude learner agency, inclusive pedagogy, faculty development, and the role of English educators in multilingual higher education. She is also exploring the intersections between academic support, business psychology, and organizational learning in business schools. She has presented at international conferences and serves as an editor for the CamEd Business Review journal.

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