The international contribution of Latin America and the Caribbean to metric information studies. The case of Scientometrics journal

Abstract

The main objective of the present research is to characterise the scientific contributions regarding metric information studies of Latin American and the Caribbean to Scientometrics journal, since 1978 to the present and from the perspective of each country's participation, the thematic profile and nature of the research and the journals that constitute the production's intellectual foundation. Results show that 11 countries from the region have contributed at least once to the journal, with a predominance of Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Chile, Colombia and Argentina. Since the 2000s, the growth trend is exponential. Concerning the thematic profile, applied studies about the production of disciplinary and institutional domains prevail. Among the sources that constitute the intellectual foundation, Scientometrics journal itself and other international core journals of the field, as well as journals from other disciplines, are found. There's little presence of regional journals. In conclusion, although there's a scarce presence of regional authors in the journal, the Latin-American community devoted to MIS shows clear interest in generating a discussion with the international community specialised in this field of study.