Abstract
This article examines the state of scientific research and development in Central America, highlighting the potential contribution of international partners. It separates Central America from the larger region of Latin America and the Caribbean to underscore its differences and how these affect scientific and technological capacities, priorities and possibilities. Using primarily data from the Ibero-American Network of Science and Technology Indicators and the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization Institute for Statistics, current research and development trends in the region are explored, as defined by international Frascati norms, and juxtaposed against broader scientific and technological parameters. Challenges within this environment include educational quality and completion rates; low public and private funding of scientific research; lack of institutionalization; limited understanding of the potential returns associated with research; and the fact that the region operates almost entirely in Spanish, limiting opportunities for global publication and exchange. In addition to national efforts, collaborative international initiatives that appear to be yielding dividends against these obstacles are multinational and intergovernmental supported research training and monitoring partnerships; cross-border university- and research institute-led programs; and international joint publishing projects.
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Notes
The Frascati Manual is clear about what classifies as R&D for international measurement. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) paraphrases the Frascati definition as follows: R&D comprises creative work undertaken on a systematic basis to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humanity, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications. The term R&D covers three activities:
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Basic research—experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundation of phenomena and observable facts, without any particular application or use in view.
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Applied research—also original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge; it is, however, directed primarily towards a specific practical aim or objective.
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Experimental development—systematic work, drawing on existing knowledge gained from research and/or practical experience, which is directed to producing new materials, products or devices, to installing new processes, systems and services, or to improving substantially those already produced or installed (UIS 2010b).
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Scientific and technological education and training (STET) includes all activities related to specialized non-university higher education and training, higher education and training that leads to a university degree, post-graduate training, and organized lifelong training for scientists and engineers. Scientific and technological services (STS) include those activities concerned with research and experimental development and those that contribute to the generation, dissemination and application of scientific and technical knowledge (UIS 2010a, b).
It is important to note that consistent data in many S&T categories is still not available for Belize, Nicaragua and Honduras. Therefore, regional generalizations rely primarily on concrete figures from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama and estimates from the rest.
The Science Citation Index (SCI) was established by the Institute for Scientific Information in 1960 and is now a part of Thomson Reuters. Its expanded version covers over 6,500 of the world’s leading science and technology journals. The multidisciplinary database provides information for identifying frequently cited articles by author and publisher. Thomson Reuters’ separate Social Sciences Citation Index offers a similar service for close to 2,500 social sciences journals (Thomson Reuters 2012).
Panama’s own S&T higher education and research systems are still rather weak compared to Costa Rica’s so its inclusion in Group B may reflect the presence in the country of international research institutions, such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, which account for roughly 20 % of all S&T activity.
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Svenson, N. Research and development in Central America: panorama and prospects for international cooperation. High Educ 65, 661–676 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-012-9569-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-012-9569-5