Communication of Research Results, Local Science Journals, and

Evaluation of Scientific Performance: One or Three Divergent Issues?

Anna María PratHead of the Information Department

CONICYT-Chile

Some general considerations to begin with

• Science is universal, the results of scientific research must be disseminated and accumulated.

• Science and scientific research are two important issues for any country, and also for developing countries.

• Today, being part of global research networks affects local science.

• New communication patterns influence and will continue to influence local scientific research,

Some data

• In Latin America a systematic national research policy begins only in the 60’s.

• Research is being carried out mainly by academic institutions.

• The resources allocated to R&D are still low.• The number of scientists and engineers devoted to

R&D are scarce.• But good research is being carried out.

Distribution of the World Total Investment in R&D

European Union22%

Rest of the World4%

Asia28%

Latin America2%

North America44%

Source: IMD Executive summary 2000.

Average Percentage of GDP devoted to R&D

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

North America European Union Asia Latin America

Source: OECD, PECC, RICYT

0123456789

10

EuropeanUnion

EEUU Japan-Korea

LatinAmerica

Scientists & Engineers engaged in R&D per Thousand of Labor Force

Source: OECD, PECC, RICYT

World distribution of scientific papers published in 1995-1997

United States35%

Asia14%

European Union32%

Latin America2%

Former Sov. Union

4%

Rest of the World13%

Source ISI Database

How do we communicate scientific results?

• In the exact sciences, almost only through mainstream journals

• In the natural sciences through mainstream and local journals

• In applied science mainly through local journals

• In the social and human sciences almost entirely through local journals

Publications output of Basic and Applied Research Funded by CONICYT

Congress Nat.12%

Reports28%

National J. ISI2%

National J7%

Nonographs4%

Thesis11%

Journals20%

Foreign J.3%

Foreign J. ISI10%

Congress F.23%

Scientific papers distributed by discipline

MAINSTREAM JOURNALS LOCAL JOURNALS

Mainstream v/s Local Journals

• Good local journals are being published in the region.

• Some of them have been included in the “mainstream” list.

• Others will never be included for different reasons

• Many more are struggling to survive

• Some should disappear

Science Journals in the LATINDEX Data Base

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Latin American Serials in the ISI Data Bases

0

5

10

15

20

25

ARTS / H.S.SCIENCESCIENCE

The struggle of local journals

• Published by scientific societies and academic institutions fighting for budgets

• Edited by small teams of scientists that voluntarily take care of the entire editorial work, including peer review, proof reading, dealing with printers, distribution policies, etc.

• Very poor distribution, and hence a very difficult availability, even for those in the Mainstream.

• Yearly struggle for public funds

Evaluation and Rankings

• For the last past ten years, individual scientists, institutions and even in some cases, disciplines, have been evaluated, only according to their publication output in mainstream journals.

• Local scientific journals are not considered valid for evaluation purposes.

• No ranking of local journals has been been, until now, recognized as valid, at national or regional level.

A National Policy for Scientific Communication (some assumptions)

• The first assumption is that in many areas of knowledge we need good local (or regional) science journals.

• Periphery science (and periphery journals) don’t have to be mediocre.

• We should have, fewer journals in the different areas, but of better quality.

• These journals need official budgetary support from government.

A National Policy for Scientific Communication (some assumptions)

• We need a valid and widely recognized ranking and evaluation system.

• We must be able to distribute the good scientific local journals

• We must explore all possibilities to make these journals openly available and known. We have to assure their visibility, and hence, their use.

• We must be part of national, regional or international scientific communication networks.

Some steps in the case of Chile

• Creation of a National Fund for Journal Editing

• Creation of a methodology of journal evaluation, evaluation criteria and an evaluation team.

• Search of other possibilities of journal publishing

• Implementation of Scielo-Chile, the program for electronic publishing of existing local science journals.

Experiencing the new possibilities of electronic publishing

The pilot project to create a new scientific journal, only in electronic format:

EJB Electronic Journal of Biotechnology, http://ejb.ucv.cl or http://www.ejb.org

edited by the Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, has proved very successful.

In one year it has accumulated over 112.500 visits.

Experiencing the new possibilities of electronic publishing

New communication methods are being tested in the site:– BIP Biotechnology in Public.

– Site for the publishing of international biotechnology congresses proceedings.

– Specialized fora in biotechnology areas.

– Incorporation of multimedia possibilities to scientific communications.

But once more, scientific quality is the requisite.

Scielo Chile, today

• Developed with the Bireme-Fapesp Methodology, selects local science journals to be incorporated into the system.

• The methodology was selected because of its structure that allows the publication of complete edition of scientific journals, built specialized data bases and compile scientometric indicators, and built a regional network.

Scielo Chile, today

• Begun in 1999, to-day it includes 16 journals. By the end of the year we will reach 20.

• From March 2001 the evaluation module will be put into place to allow the evaluation and ranking of journals and individual articles.

• By the end of 2001, we expect to include 35 titles.

But, whichever the method, scientific quality remains the main issue

• To receive funding or to be included in Scielo-Chile, the only requirement is scientific quality.

• A methodology for ranking local journals is being put into place, according to the characteristics of each area of knowledge and internationally accepted standards.

• The methodology will be complemented with the Scielo statistical and scientometric module

Scientific quality, availability, visibility, and new communication patterns

• Our mainstream science will continue to be published through mainstream journals. And this is something we consider very important

• We need to stimulate and maintain the good local scientific journals in many disciplines, where this journals are needed and where communication in Spanish is important

• We need good and accepted evaluation indicators for these journals and their articles

Scientific quality, availability, visibility, and new communication patterns

• This means that we must insist the scientific evaluation and work towards a better visibility of our research efforts to improve scientific communication

• We believe that national and regional rankings should be put into place, recognized by the scientific community itself . A program like Scielo.org encompassing the region, is the answer?

What comes next?

•Where is Scielo going?

•Should it be a portal to Latin American Science?

•A communication and information network?

•A community of scientists?

•Undoubtedly, part of the global research community.