Segmented circuits of academic recognition: the journals of social sciences and humanities in Argentina

Abstract

In other studies we have analysed to which extent scientific "peripherality" has become an increasingly complex phenomenon that is not restricted to national dynamics and cannot be explained with the concept of "academic imperialism." The World Academic System (SAM) was structured in the last four decades through a triple principle of hierarchy that created segmented circuits, historically constructed at the intersection of the institution of origin, language and discipline. Thus so-called "mainstream" circuit was based on the distinction between internationalized scientists and researchers restricted to domestic or "marginal" circuits. In this paper, we focus on the world of social science journals in Argentina in order to deepen our insight on the discipline dynamics of that principle of hierarchy. In the first part, we describe the circuits according with their power of “international” recognition, in order to go beyond a mere measurement of "visibility". Then, we develop an analysis of the database that we have built with the universe of Argentine journals to determine how this knowledge circulates. We particularly observe a strong domestic circuit, with little or none international impact, consisting of non- indexed journals,  published only in paper, resulting in a very restricted distribution.