Is there a relationship between the geographic diversity of the editorial boards of scientific journals and international authorship? An analysis of Latin American journals in economics, econometrics, and finance

Seijas-Díaz J.; Ruales E.A.B.; Rengifo-Hidalgo V.; Rosales-Bardalez C.D.; Cordova-Lopez G.L. · Iberoamerican Journal of Science Measurement and Communication (2026) · DOI: 10.47909/ijsmc.403

Resumen

Objective. To analyze the relationship between the internationalization of editorial boards and the geographic origin of authors in Latin American journals of Economics, Econometrics, and Finance, considering geographic diversity and cross-country correspondence. Design/Methodology/Approach. An observational, retrospective, and analytical study was conducted on 40 Latin American journals, with 30 included in the main analysis. We analyzed 2,625 documents and 6,506 authorship records from Scopus corresponding to 2023-2025, along with the composition of their editorial boards. Internationalization was assessed using indicators of representation and geographic diversity, applying Spearman’s correlations, robust regressions, and PPML models with fixed effects for journal and country. Results/Discussion. The proportion of foreign members on the editorial board was positively associated with the proportion of foreign authorship (ρ = 0.530; p = 0.003), while the geographic diversity of the editorial board was associated with author diversity (ρ = 0.493; p = 0.006). The number of countries, on its own, did not show a significant association. At the journal-country level, the presence of a foreign country on the editorial board was associated with an approximately 69% higher authorial presence from that same country (IRR = 1.690; 95% CI: 1.264-2.260; p < 0.001). This association held up in the sensitivity analysis that included the countries where the journals were based. The results suggest that the geographic distribution of editorial representation provides more information than the simple number of countries represented. Conclusions. The internationalization of editorial boards is related to the geographic origin of authors in the Latin American journals analyzed. The presence of certain countries on the boards corresponded to greater authorship representation from those same countries. Although this association does not imply causality or editorial favoritism, it demonstrates a close relationship between editorial governance and the geographic distribution of authorship.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Alto Amazonas; Universidad Nacional de San Martín; Universidad Nacional de Educación Enrique Guzmán y Valle