Scientific output of women affiliated with Bolivian universities: A descriptive bibliometric analysis, 2015-2024

Álvares D.M.O.; Álvares E.O.; Marquina-Luján R.J.; Guzmán M.H.F.; Cruz R.C.T. · Iberoamerican Journal of Science Measurement and Communication (2026) · DOI: 10.47909/ijsmc.350

Resumen

Objective. This study conducts a quantitative bibliometric analysis to describe the scientific output of women affiliated with Bolivian universities in terms of their patterns of participation, collaboration, citation, and subject specialization during the period 2015-2024. Design/Methodology/Approach. A bibliometric research design was applied to a sample of 4,852 publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, with authorship attributed to higher education institutions in Bolivia. Indicators of productivity (number of publications and growth rate), impact (citations per document), international collaboration, and subject specialization were analyzed, disaggregated by gender. Results/Discussion. The results reveal that women’s participation as lead authors is concentrated in the health and social sciences, with a lower presence in STEM disciplines. Scientific output led by women shows descriptive differences in collaboration and subject specialization compared to that of their male colleagues. Conclusions. The results show significant female participation, though it remains limited in some areas and forms of first authorship. Disciplinary segregation reveals a lower presence of women in STEM fields, which requires greater institutional attention. Effective equality policies are needed so that the talent trained in universities translates into innovation and scientific knowledge. Originality/Value. This article presents one of the first descriptive bibliometric analyses focused on gender and university scientific output in Bolivia, and offers useful descriptive information for future research and institutional debates on gender equity in science.

Instituciones: Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola