There’s a representation problem in the fields of economics and research that has been well documented. As my colleagues have written about previously here and here, studies have shown that only 5 percent of papers in top journals study low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), and research output is strongly correlated with a country’s GDP. A recent report discusses the shortage of funding for African researchers in the education sector and other challenges they face. Not every piece of research about a country needs to be written by someone from that country, but the dearth of research produced by LMIC researchers indicates that there’s a systemic problem.