Structural determinants of scientific output: a comparative empirical analysis of 47 countries

Jinchuña Huallpa J.; Flores Arocutipa J.P.; Lujan Minaya J.C.; Gutierrez Quispe N.F. · Revista Venezolana de Gerencia (2026) · DOI: 10.52080/rvgluz.31.116.15

Resumen

The study provides a comparative analysis of the structural determinants of scientific production at the international level, integrating economic, educational, institutional, and digital dimensions. This study is basic research with a quantitative, cross-sectional approach; through the analysis of a dataset covering 47 countries, it evaluates how investment in science and technology, human capital, education spending, institutional quality, and digital development are associated with per capita scientific output (Scopus-indexed articles per million inhabitants). The results show that researcher density and educational spending are robust determinants of scientific output, while institutional quality acts as a key enabling factor; spending on research and development as a percentage of PBI shows diminishing returns when not accompanied by human and institutional capacities. In conclusion, scientific output responds to sustained government policies, and digitization and Internet use are positively associated with scientific output, reinforcing the importance of digital infrastructure as a cross-cutting input to the scientific system.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Cañete; Universidad Nacional de Moquegua