When Aid Data came out with its 2013 data set on Chinese finance in Africa, it was quick to be picked up by media houses:

'China commits billions in aid to Africa', said one headline in the UK's Guardian newspaper.

It was also quick to be criticised by China Africa scholars such as Deborah Brautigam, who pointed out methodological issues with the data set.

But Aid-Data has absorbed the criticism, refined its approach, and continues to try to map out financial flows from China to Africa.

We spoke to Brad Parks, the executive director of Aid Data, a research center based at William and Mary college in the US.

You can find them on twitter @aiddata

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