Mapping regional science production to build research agendas

Most popular indexes to measure science production growth come from Derek de Solla Price old proposals (but valid) about volume and citation counts. These kinds of measures are important to understand impact of scientific production in mainstream. Nevertheless, Scientometrics and Sociology of Science haven’t paid enough attention to local and regional indexes about scientific growth to discover tendencies and rebuilt local and regional research agendas. This paper proposes 4 kinds of indexes to explore possibilities of scientific development: interdisciplinary index, development of thematic issues (consistency, variation capacity and innovation), invisible college development, and collaboration. Two methodological processes are featured: first one related to creation of data bases different from Scopus and ISI products, a necessary practice to make visible most of production not included in them; second, indexes specifications that could be used mapping regional or local scientific developments.

Here is presented a developing research program build by Social Networks and Actors Research Group at the Universidad de Antioquia, specifically developments in our project “Scientific and Technological Knowledge available in Antioquia’s Department, 1990-2010”, funded by FUNLAM and UdeA.