The following comments, analysis, and guide grow out of publishing two editions of a reference book and teaching a course on the Bibliography of Africa for the past nineteen years at the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign. The course is required for all Masters students in African Studies.
Two major issues have emerged with compiling the following guide to the best online sources for the study of Africa. The first is the fast growth of digital sources, and the increasing need to have access to the Internet to do research on Africa. The second is the uneven mix between open access and fee-based access to these online resources, and therefore the growing gap between rich institutions and scholars and struggling organisations and individuals who are at a disadvantage in accessing knowledge.