Abstract
This paper analyses the research activity conducted by Puerto Rican scientists in science and technology in the period 1990 to 1998. The Science Citation Index (SCI) database was used to analyse scientific production by geographic area, type of insittution, document typology, language coverage, visibility of publications, subjects addressed and collaboration between local and international authors and institutions. Scientific production was observed to nearly double over the period studied and found to be concentrated in the academic sector, primarily in the city of San Juan, specifically in the University of Puerto Rico's Rio Piedras, Medical Sciences and Mayagüez campuses. Puerto Rican scientific production in the period studied was greater than in any other Caribbean country and the sixth largest in all of Latin America. Papers are mainly published in highly visible journals and scientific articles are the vehicle most commonly used to reach the scientific community. Co-operation indices between authors and institutions are high and the principal areas in which research is published are Medicine, Chemistry, Life Sciences and Physics.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aponte, E. (1999) Hacia una politica de desarrollo de una infraestructura de información y conocimiento para la implantación de la estrategia económica de Puerto Rico. In: Futuro Económico de Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, pp. 83-129.
Avkiran, N. K. (1997) Scientific collaboration in finance does not lead to better quality research, Scientometrics, 39(2): 173-184.
Arunachalam, S., Jinandra-Doss, M. (2000) Science in a small country at a time of globalization: Domestic and international collaboration in new biology research in Israel, Journal of Information Science, 26(1): 39-49.
Crase, D., Rosato, F. D. (1992) Single versus multiple authorship in professional journals, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dancing, 63(7): 28-31.
Del Valle, J. L. (1999) Politicas tecnológicas en Puerto Rico: pasado, presente y futuro. In: Futuro Económico de Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, pp. 61-81.
FernÁndez, J. A. (1998) The transition from an individual science to a collective one: the case of astronomy, Scientometrics, 42(1): 61-74.
FernÁndez, J. R. (1990) Politica pública para la ciencia en Puerto Rico. In: Ciencia y Politica en Puerto Rico, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, pp. 37-43.
FernÁndez, M. T., GÓmez, I., SebastiÁn, J. (1998) La cooperación científica de los países de América Latina a través de indicadores bibliométricos, Interciencia, 23(6): 328-337.
Frame, J. D., Carpenter, M. P. (1979) International research collaboration, Social Studies of Science, 9: 481-497.
GalbÁn, C., GÓmez, I. (1992) La cooperación científica entre España e Iberoamérica en revistas internacionales. Revista Española de Documentación Científica, 15(14): 405-415.
GlÄnzel, W., De Lange, C. (1997) Modelling and measurement multilateral co-authorship in international scientific collaboration. Part II. A comparative study on the extent and change of international scientific collaboration links, Scientometrics, 40(3): 605-626.
GlÄnzel, W., Schubert, A., Czerwon, H. J. (1999) A bibliometric analysis of international scientific cooperation of the European Union (1985–1995), Scientometrics, 45(2): 185-202.
GÓmez, I., M. Bordons, (1996) Limitaciones en el uso de los indicadores bibliométricos para la evaluación científica, Política Científica, (46): 21-26.
GÓmez, I., FernÁndez, M. T., SebastiÁn, J. (1999) Analysis of the structure of international scientific cooperation networks through bibliometric indicators, Scientometrics, 44(3): 441-457.
GÓmez, I., GalbÁn, C. (1992) La cooperación científica entre España e Iberoamérica en revistas internacionales. Revista Española de Documentación Científica, 15(4): 405-415.
Gordon, M. D. (1980) A critical reassessment of inferred relations between multiple authorship, scientific collaboration, the production of papers and their acceptance for publication, Scientometrics, 2(3): 193-201.
Guimaraes, P., Rolfe, R. J., Woodward, D. P. (1998) Regional incentives and industrial location in Puerto Rico, International Regional Science Review, 21(2): 119-138.
Krauskopf, M., Pessot, R., VicuÑa, R. (1986) Science in Latin America how much and along what lines?, Scientometrics, 10(3–4): 199-206.
Lawani, S. M. (1986) Some bibliometric correlates of quality in scientific research, Scientometrics, 9(1–2): 13-25.
Macias-Chapula, C. A., Rodea-Castro, I. P., Narvaez-Berthelemot, N. (1998) Bibliometric analysis of AIDS literature in Latin America and the Caribbean, Scientometrics, 41(1–2): 41-49.
Macias-Chapula, C. A., Sotolongo-Aguilar, G. R., Magde, B., Solorio-Lagunas, J. (1999) Subject content analysis of AIDS literature, as produced in Latin America and the Caribbean, Scientometrics, 46(3): 563-574.
Maldonado, N. (1998) National Science Board Field Hearing. Education on the Road to Excellence, http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/meetings/1999/oct/oct7.htm
MartÍn Sampere, M. J., UrdÍn Caminos, M. C. (1991) Producción científica de países latinoamericanos a través de las revistas españolas de ciencia y tecnología durante el período 1983–1988. Revista Española de Documentación Científica, 14(2): 143-156.
Melin, G. (1999) Impact of national size on research collaboration: A comparison between European and American universities, Scientometrics, 46(1): 161-170.
MÉndez, J. F. (1990) La planificación tecnológica y el desarrollo de una infraestructura científica en Puerto Rico. In: Ciencia y Política en Puerto Rico. Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, p. 44-49.
Moya-AnegÓn, F., Herrero-Solana, V. (1999) Science in America Latina: A comparison of bibliometric and scientific-technical indicators, Scientrometrics, 46(2): 299-320.
Moya-AnegÓn, F., Jimenez-Contreras, E. (1999) Topografía de la ciencia mundial, El Profesional de la Información, 8(7–8): 40-42.
Narin, F., Stevens, K., Withlow, E. S. (1991) Scientific co-operation in Europe and the citation of multinationally authored papers, Scientometrics, 21: 313-323.
Narvaez-Berthelemot, N., Frigoletto, L. P., Miquel, J. F. (1992) International scientific collaboration in Latin America, Scientometrics, 24(3): 373-392.
NegrÓn-DÍaz, S. (1990) Politica pública sobre ciencia y tecnología. In: Ciencia y Política en Puerto Rico. Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, pp. 31-36.
RICyT, (1999) Indicadores de ciencia y tecnología: Iberoamericanos / interamericanos 1995–1998. RICyT, Buenos Aires.
Rusell, J. M., Narvaez-Berthelemot, N. (1992) Use of the bibliometrical method to determine the scientific activity of Latin America: The case of international co-operation, International Journal of Information & Library Research, 4(2): 127-137.
Samuel, R. (1999) Technology-Puerto Rico: Looking for economic growth in high tech places, InterPress Services World News, http://www.oneworld.org/ips2/mar99/04_04_007.html
Sancho, R., Cabrero, A., Delgado, F., FernÁndez, M. T. (1994) A study of scientific co-operation between South, Central American and Caribbean countries. In: J. R. Álvarez-ossorio, B. G. Goedegebuure (Eds) New Worlds in Information and Documentation, Elsevier Science B. V., The Netherlands, pp. 133-142.
Sanz, E. (1998) Estudio bibliométrico de la producción científica del Centro de Investigaciones Sociales de la Universidad de Puerto Rico durante el período 1988–1994, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, p. 47 [available from the author].
Sanz, E. (1995) Estudio bibliométrico de la producción científica del Departamento de Química del Recinto de Río Piedras de la Universidad de Puerto Rico durante el período 1989–1994. Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, p. 32 [available from the author].
Schubert, A., Braun, T. (1990) International collaboration in the sciences, 1981–1985, Scientometrics, 19(1): 3-10.
Severino, C. E. (1999) Los procesos de urbanización y metropolización de San Juan: Factores principales del consumo de espacio y de la configuración territorial de la sociedad puertorriqueña. In: Futuro Económico de Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, pp. 315-343.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ortiz-Rivera, L.A., Sanz-Casado, E. & Suárez-Balseiro, C.A. Scientific Production in Puerto Rico in Science and Technology during the Period 1990 to 1998. Scientometrics 49, 403–418 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010585522899
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010585522899