Philosophy of science in latin america: a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in SCOPUS

Abstract

Objective: The main objective of this study is to perform a bibliometric analysis of the philosophy of science in Latin America, taking as reference the publications indexed in Scopus. The purpose is to map the predominant topics, international collaborations and the most cited sources in the region. Methodology: Through the use of co-authorship, co-occurrence of terms and co-citation of journals indicators, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina were identified as key countries in the international network, although intraregional collaborations are still limited. The thematic analysis carried out revealed the existence of five clusters: (1) epistemological foundations and analytical philosophy of science, (2) history, education and scientific culture, (3) scientific teaching and representation of knowledge, (4) science, society and epistemological criticism, and (5) structure of theories and applied disciplinary philosophy. Results and Discussion: It was observed that the journals are grouped into five similar nuclei that reflect analytical, educational, regional, historical and cognitive traditions. The results show that, although these methodologies have a significant presence in the field, their adoption varies widely across communities. Conclusions: The field of study thus exhibits a complex structure, in which classical and contextual approaches converge, combining global references with situated Latin American perspectives. Contribution: The study demonstrates a hybrid structure of the field, in which both global academic traditions and the contextual specificities of the region converge, calling for new research.