2014/03/01 by Rita Barradas Barata, RITA B. BARATA, ERIKA ARAGÃO +6
Decision Sciences · Mathematics · Social Sciences · #Education and Public Policy #Field (mathematics) #Geography #Mathematics #Science and Science Education #scientometrics and bibliometrics research
paper · pdf · doi:10.1590/0001-3765201420130023
openalex publication_date 2014/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
This article describes the configuration of the scientific field in Brazil, characterizing the scientific communities in every major area of knowledge in terms of installed capacity, ability to train new researchers, and capacity for academic production. Empirical data from several sources of information are used to characterize the different communities. Articulating the theoretical contributions of Pierre Bourdieu, Ludwik Fleck, and Thomas Kuhn, the following types of capital are analyzed for each community: social capital (scientific prestige), symbolic capital (dominant paradigm), political capital (leadership in S & T policy), and economic capital (resources). Scientific prestige is analyzed by taking into account the volume of production, activity index, citations, and other indicators. To characterize symbolic capital, the dominant paradigms that distinguish the natural sciences, the humanities, applied sciences, and technology development are analyzed theoretically. Political capital is measured by presidency in one of the main agencies in the S & T national system, and research resources and fellowships define the economic capital. The article discusses the composition of these different types of capital and their correspondence to structural capacities in various communities with the aim of describing the configuration of the Brazilian scientific field.