Open access policies in Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union : progress towards a political dialogue.
Date: 2023-03-07
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: Caribbean Islands, EU action, European Union, Latin America, cloud computing, institutional structure, open data, open innovation, open science, report, research and development, scientific cooperation

Open Access Policies in Latin 
America, the Caribbean and the 
European Union 

Progress Towards a Political Dialogue 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Open  Access  Policies  in  Latin  America,  the  Caribbean  and  the  European  Union: 
Progress Towards a Political Dialogue 

European Commission 
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation 
Directorate F — Global Approach & International Cooperation in R&I 
Unit F.1 — International Cooperation I (Europe, Americas and thematic coherence) 
Contact   Daniel Kiapes 
Email   Daniel.KIAPES@ec.europa.eu  

Javier.LOPEZ-ALBACETE1@ec.europa.eu 
RTD-PUBLICATIONS@ec.europa.eu 

European Commission 
B-1049 Brussels 

Manuscript completed in February 2023  
1st edition 

This  document  has  been  prepared  for  the  European  Commission,  however  it  reflects  the  views  only  of  the 
authors, and the European Commission shall not be liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse. 

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ISBN 978-92-76-56505-5 

doi:10.2777/90667 

KI-09-22-473-EN-N 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2023 

© European Union, 2023  

Reuse  is  authorised  provided  the  source  is  acknowledged  and  the  original  meaning  or  message  of  the 
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Open Access Policies in Latin 
America, the Caribbean and 
the European Union 

Progress Towards a Political Dialogue 

Pilar Rico-Castro 
Laura Bonora 

2023 

Directorate-General for Research and Innovation 
EU-LAC Policy Dialogue Support Facility 

EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of contents 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................. 5 

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................... 7 

1. 

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................... 10 

Open access public policies 

Objective of this study 

Methodology and structure of the document 

10 

12 

13 

2.  REGIONAL OPEN ACCESS INITIATIVES IN LATIN AMERICA 

AND THE CARIBBEAN ......................................................................... 18 

LA Referencia 

CTCAP 

Latindex 

SciELO 

Redalyc 

CLACSO 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

27 

3.  ARGENTINA .......................................................................................... 29 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

Open access digital platforms 

30 

33 

35 

4.  BRAZIL .................................................................................................. 38 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

Open access digital platforms 

39 

42 

44 

5.  CHILE .................................................................................................... 47 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy 

Open access digital platforms 

48 

52 

53 

6.  COLOMBIA ........................................................................................... 55 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

Open access digital platforms 

56 

59 

60 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7.  COSTA RICA ......................................................................................... 62 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

Open access digital platforms 

63 

65 

66 

8.  ECUADOR ............................................................................................. 68 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

Open access digital platforms 

69 

72 

72 

9.  EL SALVADOR ..................................................................................... 75 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

Open access digital platforms 

76 

78 

79 

10.  MEXICO ................................................................................................. 81 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

Open access digital platforms 

82 

85 

86 

11.  PANAMA ............................................................................................... 90 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

Open access digital platforms 

91 

93 

94 

12.  PERU ..................................................................................................... 96 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

Open access digital platforms 

97 

101 

102 

13.  URUGUAY ............................................................................................. 105 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

Open access digital platforms 

106 

108 

109 

14.  EUROPEAN UNION .............................................................................. 111 

Institutional framework 

Open access policy and legal framework 

112 

116 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Open access digital platforms 

119 

15.  COMMON CHALLENGES BETWEEN LATIN AMERICA AND THE 

CARIBBEAN AND THE EUROPEAN UNION ....................................... 123 

16.  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY ACTION ..................................... 129 

ANNEXES .................................................................................................... 132 

Table A.1. Policies and digital infrastructures in open access, and STI 

governance bodies in LAC countries 

Table A.2. Latin American and Caribbean countries' participation in 

regional open access initiatives 

Figure A.1: Intensity of national open access actions and of the 

involvement in regional open access initiatives in Latin American 
and Caribbean countries 

Table A.3. Main STI indicators in Latin American and Caribbean countries 

(2019) 

Table A.4. Number of open access repositories in Latin American and 

Caribbean countries registered in OpenDOAR 

Table A.5. Number of journals in DOAJ, Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO 
and Redalyc in Latin American and Caribbean countries 

Table A.6. Latin American and Caribbean countries presence in 

international open access initiatives 

Figure A.2: No. of institutional repositories from LAC countries registered 

in OpenDOAR 

133 

134 

135 

136 

137 

138 

139 

140 

BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................... 141 

4 

 
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Many  people  have  collaborated  generously  by  providing  information  and  reviewing  this 
work. We would like to thank  (in chronological order) the national experts of the countries 
analysed in this report for their generous dedication and valuable comments. Without their 
input, our work would have been much harder and the outcome of our efforts considerably 
poorer:  

International experts: Lautaro Matas, Executive and Technical Secretary of LA Referencia, 
and Rafael Morera Cuesta of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain. 

Argentina:  Paola  Azrilevich,  Coordinator  of  the  Executive  Department  of  the  National 
System of Digital Repositories and the Electronic Library of Science and Technology of the 
Ministry  of  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (MINCyT),  and  Rodolfo  Barrere, 
Coordinator of the Ibero-American Network of Science and Technology Indicators (RICYT), 

Brazil: Bianca Amaro, General Coordinator of Research and Maintenance of Consolidated 
Products,  Brazilian  Institute  of  Information  in  Science  and  Technology,  in  Brazil  (IBICIT), 
Washington  Luís  Ribeiro  de  Carvalho  Segundo,  Scientific  Information  Analysis, 
Processing  and  Dissemination  Coordinator,  IBICT,  and  Raphael  Faria  Vilas  Boas, 
Scientific  Information  Analysis,  Processing  and  Dissemination  Coordination  Researcher, 
IBICT. 

Colombia: Linda Paola Castro, Leader of the Colombian Network of Scientific Information. 

Costa  Rica:  Fabiola  Campos  Jara,  of  the  National  University  of  Costa  Rica,  Jason 
Enríquez  Fallas,  Technological  Institute  of  Costa  Rica,  Teresa  Franco  Poveda,  of  the 
State  Open  University,  Edward  Araya  Hidalgo,  of  the  National  Council  of  Vice-
Chancellors,  Andrea  Marín Campos,  University  of  Costa  Rica,  Andrea  Méndez  Solano, 
the  National  Technical  University,  Andrea  Mora  Campos,  the  National  University,  Jorge 
Polanco  Cortés,  University  of  Costa  Rica,  Alexa  Ramírez  Vega,  the  Technological 
Institute  of  Costa  Rica,  Carlos  Redondo  Gómez,  Ministry  of  Science,  Innovation, 
Technology  and  Telecommunications  (MICITT),  Sharlín  Sánchez  Espinoza,  National 
Council  of  Vice-Chancellors,  Carolina  Seas  Carvajal,  from  the  State  Open  University, 
Steven Segura Jiménez, State Open University, and Diego Vargas Perez, the MICITT. 

Chile:  Gabriel  Arriagada,  Head  of  the  Research  Skills  Training  Unit  at  the  Santísima 
Concepción Catholic University (UCSC), M. Soledad Bravo-Marchant, Information Access 
Unit  Manager  of  National  Agency  for  Research  and  Development  (ANID),  and  Patricia 
Muñoz Palma, Deputy Director of Networks, Strategy and Knowledge (ANID). 

Ecuador:  Juan  Pablo  Carvallo,  Executive  Director  of  the  Ecuadorian  Corporation  for  the 
Development of Research and Academia (CEDIA), Carlos Guzmán, Director of the CEDIA 
IT  Service,  Josefina  Siguencia,  CEDIA  Academic  Manager,  Freddy  Sumba,  CEDIA  IT 
R&D&I Engineer and Javier Valdiviezo, CEDIA Academic and Training Coordinator. 

El Salvador: Galileo Romero, Research Manager Department of Scientific Research of the 
University of El Salvador. 

Mexico:  Arianna  Becerril,  Executive  Director  of  Redalyc  and  Full-Time  Research 
Professor  at  the  School  of  Political  and  Social  Sciences  of  the  Autonomous  University  of 

5 

 
Mexico State, and Rosalina Vázquez Tapia, General Coordinator of the Mexican Network 
of  Institutional  Repositories  -  REMERI  and  Official  of  the  Autonomous  University  of  San 
Luis Potosí. 

Panama:  Robinson  Zapata,  Head  of  the  Scientific  and  Technological  Information 
Department of the National Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT). 

Peru:  Claudia  Córdova  Yamauchi,  Director  of  the  Department  of  Evaluation  and 
Knowledge  Management  of  the  National  Council  for  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation 
(CONCYTEC)  and  Isabel  Recavarren,  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  Information 
Manager, Sub-Directorate of Information and Knowledge Management, CONCYTEC. 

Uruguay: Juan Maldini, Digital Services Manager at the National Agency for Research and 
Innovation (ANII). 

In addition, we have been fortunate to share meetings, webinars and on line round tables 
with  other  renowned  professionals  from  whom  we  have  learned  and  whose  contributions 
have  inspired  us:  Juan  Pablo  Alperín,  co-scientific  director  of  the  Public  Knowledge 
Project  and  Associate  Professor  at  the  School  of  Publishing  at  Simon  Fraser  University 
(Canada), Fernanda Beigel, researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technical 
Research  -  CONICET  (Argentina),  Ana  María  Cetto,  professor  and  researcher  at  the 
National  Autonomous  University  of  Mexico  and  president  of  Latindex,  Saray  Córdoba 
González, professor and researcher at the University of Costa Rica and honorary member 
of  Latindex,  Andrea  Ibañez  Zapata,  Senescyt  (Ecuador),  Francisco  Silva  Garcés,  from 
the  Citizen  Laboratory  of  Technologies  and  Free  Culture  of  Ecuador,  Juan  Ernesto 
Sepúlveda, from the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation of Chile, 
and  Ruth  Vallejo,  professor  and  researcher  at  Universidad  Distrital  Francisco  José  de 
Caldas, Bogotá (Colombia). 

To all those mentioned above and to all those who have helped us in this work, thank you. 

Pilar Rico-Castro and Laura Bonora 

6 

 
 
 
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 

AmeliCA 

Open Knowledge for Latin America and the Global South 

ANID 

ANII 

APC 

National Research and Development Agency of Chile 

National Research and Innovation Agency of Uruguay 

Article Processing Charge 

CACES 

Council for Quality Assurance in Higher Education of Ecuador  

CAPES 

Coordination of Development Senior Level Personnel of Brazil  

EC 

European Commission 

CEDIA 

Ecuadorian Corporation for the Development of Research and the 
Academy of Ecuador 

CELAC 

Community of Latin American and Caribbean States 

CILAC 

Latin America and the Caribbean Science Open Forum 

CLACSO 

Latin American Social Science Council 

CAN 

CNPq 

National Accreditation Commission of Chile  

National Council for Scientific and Technological Development of 
Brazil 

COAR 

Confederation of Open Access Repositories 

COARA 

Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment 

CONACyT 

National Council of Science and Technology of El Salvador 

CONACyT 

National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico 

CONAE 

National Commission for Space Activities Argentina 

CONARE 

National Council of Vice-Chancellors of Costa Rica 

CONCYTEC 

National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation of Peru 

CONICET 

National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina 

CTCAP 

Commission for the Scientific and Technological Development of 
Central America and Panama 

STI 

Science, Technology and Innovation 

7 

 
DIAMAS 

DOAJ 

EOSC 

ERA 

EU  

FAIR 

FAPs 

Developing Institutional Open Access Publishing Models to Advance 
Scholarly Communication (project funded by the Horizon Europe 
programme) 
Directory of Open Access Scientific and Scholarly Journals and 
Periodicals  

European Open Science Cloud  

European Research Area  

European Union 

Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable 

Brazilian Research Support Foundations 

FECYT  

Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology 

Finep 

Studies and Projects Funder of Brazil 

FOLEC 

Latin American Forum on Scientific Evaluation 

HE 

Horizon Europe 

H2020 

Horizon 2020 

IBICT 

ISSN 

LAC 

LA Referencia 

Latindex 

MCTI 

MEC 

MICITT 

Brazilian Institute of Science and Technology Information 

International Standard Serial Number 

Latin America and the Caribbean 

The Federated Network of Institutional Repositories of Scientific 
Publications 
Regional Online Information System for Scientific Journals in Latin 
America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal 

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil 

Ministry of Education and Culture of Uruguay 

Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and 
Telecommunications of Costa Rica 

MinCiencia 

Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation of Chile 

MINCIENCIAS  Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Colombia 

MINCyT 

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Argentina 

OA 

Open Access 

8 

 
OAI-PMH 

Open Archive Initiative-Protocol for Metadata Harvesting 

OECD 

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 

IEO 

Organisation of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and 
Culture 

ONCYT 

National Science and Technology Agencies 

OpenAIRE 

Open Access Infrastructure Research for Europe 

OpenDOAR 

Directory of Open Access Repositories 

ORCID 

Open Researcher and Contributor ID 

ORE 

EAP 

GDP 

Open Research Europe 

Economically Active Population  

Gross Domestic Product 

Redalyc 

Diamond Open Access scientific journal network 

RedCLARA 

Latin American Cooperation Network for Advanced Networking  

RICyT 

Science and Technology Indicators Network -Ibero-American and 
Inter-American 

SciELO  

Online Scientific Electronic Library 

SENACyT 

National Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Panama 

SENESCYT 

Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of 
Ecuador 

UNESCO 

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation  

9 

 
 
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION  

  Open access public policies 

Public  policies  are  whatever  governments  decide  to  do  or  not  to  do  to  solve  a  public 
problem (Dye 1992). In the specific field of science, technology and innovation (STI), public 
R&D&I  policies1  are  all  of  the  direct  actions  of  the  public  authorities,  through  specific 
programmes, which influence the elements of the research, technological development and 
business  innovation  production  system  and  modify  the  conditions  under  which  those  who 
finance,  produce  and  evaluate  scientific  and  technological  knowledge  carry  out  their 
activities (Rico-Castro and Morera, 2009). This has traditionally taken the form of decisions 
affecting:  (1)  the  governance  of  science,  technology  and  innovation;  (2)  the  allocation  of 
greater  or  fewer  economic  and  human  resources  to  scientific  research,  technological 
development and product and process improvement activities; (3) how these resources are 
distributed  among  the  different  knowledge  disciplines;  (4)  the  types  of  programmes  and 
specific mechanisms devised for the distribution of funds; (5) the career paths and working 
conditions established for research personnel; (6)  the types of organisations in which they 
carry  out  their  work;  (7)  the  systems  for  evaluating  scientific  and  academic  performance; 
and (8) their specific incentives (Rico-Castro and Morera, 2009).  

At  the  beginning  of  the  21st  century,  the  difficulty  and  high  costs  of  accessing  publicly 
funded  scientific  content  was  identified  as  a  global  public  problem  that  needed  to  be 
addressed. Accordingly, R&D&I policies broadened their focus to direct their attention also 
on  improving  the  system  of  communication  of  research  results  and  on  solving  the 
dysfunctions  and  heavy  economic  burdens  generated  by  the  huge  market  for  scholarly 
publishing  in  public  R&D  systems,  giving  rise  to  open  access  policies.  These  were 
marked as priorities, first by the European Union (EU)2, then by the EU’s Member States3, 
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)  4  5  6 and the United 
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)  7. (Rico-Castro 2019). 
The  framing  of  the  public  problem  and  the  design  of  the  first  actions  aimed  at  solving  it 
where  strongly  influenced  by  the  diagnosis  of  the  academic  libraries'  collective  that 
complained to the public authorities about the burdensome conditions, imposed by the large 
commercial publishers, that they had to deal with to provide their researchers with access 
to  publicly  funded  journals  and  research  articles.  This  narrative  connected very  effectively 
with  R&D  decision-makers,  who  opened  a  space  within  science  and  technology  policy 
agendas to address this problem, assuming that open access policies would contribute to 
eliminate the economic costs of accessing scientific resources, reduce the dependence of 
universities and R&D centres on commercial providers, avoid the loss of results (especially 
research  data),  increase  and  improve  the  transparency  of  the  scientific  process,  increase 
the  visibility  and  impact  of  research  results  and  favour  the  dissemination  of  knowledge  to 
the society. 

1 In this report the terms "science and technology" and "R&D" are treated as synonyms. In this report the terms 
“science, technology and innovation”, “R&D&I” and “STI” are treated as synonyms. 
2 See https://www.openaire.eu/ec-policies-and-mandates  
3 See https://www.openaire.eu/os-eu-countries  
4 OECD. Making Open Science a Reality (2015): https://doi.org/10.1787/5jrs2f963zs1-en  
5 OECD. Open Science: https://www.oecd.org/sti/inno/open-science.htm  
6 Recommendation of the Council on Enhancing Access to and Sharing of Data (October 2021) 
https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0463 
7  UNESCO's Recommendation on Open Science (2021): 

https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379949_spa  

10 

 
 
In  this  context,  the  first  movements  in  favour  of  open  access  arose,  giving  rise  to  the 
Budapest  OA  Initiative  (2002),  the  Bethesda  Statement  on  OA  Publishing  (2003)  and  the 
Berlin Declaration on OA in the Sciences and Humanities (2003), all of which defined OA as 
online  access  to  all  scientific  information  free  of  charge  to  the  reader  and  under  licences 
allowing  its  use  by  researchers,  companies  and  citizens,  without  economic,  legal  or 
technological  barriers.  To  achieve 
two 
complementary strategies: (1) self-archiving in institutional or subject repositories of articles 
previously  published  in  academic  journals;  and  (2) publication  in  journals  whose  business 
model was not subscription access but open access. Throughout this study we will see that 
the open access policies designed by Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries and 
the  EU  demand,  with  greater  or  lesser  efficiency,  that  publicly  funded  work  published  in 
academic  journals  be  deposited  in  open  access  repositories,  making  these  platforms  the 
ultimate destination of research results.  

the  Budapest  Declaration  outlined 

this, 

By the middle of the second decade of the 21st century, the first open access policies in the 
European  context  had  succeeded  in  changing  the  process  of  communicating  research 
results,  but  their  effectiveness  was  less  than  expected  and  they  generated  new 
dysfunctions  not  foreseen  in  their  initial  design.  Firstly,  the  open  access  mandates 
addressed  to  the  beneficiaries  of  public  grants  were  answered  by  commercial  publishers 
with  the  tightening  of  copyright  assignment  provisions  in  publishing  contracts  that  authors 
have  to  accept  to  see  their  works  published.  These  provisions  resulted  in  publishers´ 
holding  the  economic  rights  emanating  from  the  publications  for  periods  longer  than  the 
embargoes  permitted  by  open  access  mandates.  Based  on  such  rights,  publishers 
expressly  prohibited  the  deposition  of  the  final  version  accepted  for  publication  within  the 
deadlines set by research funding agencies. This resulted in grant recipients being caught 
between  two  set  of  obligations  which  were  hard  to  reconcile:  the  deposition  and  open 
access  obligation  within  a  certain  time  limit,  issued  by  their  research  funding  agency,  and 
the  prohibition  to  do  so,  imposed  by  publishers.  As  an  attempt  of  publishers  to  take 
economic  advantage  of  the  situation,  commercial  journals  increasingly  began  to  accept 
article  processing  charges  (APCs)  in  exchange  for  allowing  authors  to  provide  immediate 
open  access  to  their  publications.  Thus,  commercial  publishers  adapted  their  business 
models to reap the benefits offered by OA mandates through the creation of the so-called 
hybrid  scholarly  journal  model,  i.e.,  subscription  access  journals  that  accept  open  access 
articles  in  exchange  for  APCs,  experienced  tremendous  growth.  Therefore,  open  access 
policies, far from making access to scientific content cheaper, had the unintended effect of 
standardising  and  significantly  increasing  the  hitherto  virtually  non-existent  costs  of 
publishing.  Secondly,  these  early  open  access  policies  developed  by  research  funding 
agencies  and  research  performing  organizations  did  not  include  any  coordination 
mechanism  with  research  assessment  agencies  that  would  link  the  scientific  performance 
with the degree of compliance with self-archiving mandates. On the contrary, the mail real 
incentive continued to be to publish as many papers as possible in journals with the highest 
possible impact. Thus, the obligations on the beneficiaries of public research funding were 
neither  monitored  nor  consistent  with  the  production  incentives.  Mandates  and  incentives 
were and are often incompatible.  

It  is  in  this  context  that  the  concept  of  open  science  arose.  Used  by  the  European 
Commission  in  the  document  Open  Innovation,  Open  Science,  Open  to  the  World, 
published  in  2016  (European  Commission  2016)  and  initially  called  science  2.0,  open 
science is a plural concept not only covering open access policies to scientific publications 
and research data, but also other initiatives such as the FAIR8 management of the latter to 
make them findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable, the promotion of free software 

8 Acronym for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable.  

11 

 
 
as  a  working  tool  and  as  a  result  of  research  activity,  the  inclusion  of  new  groups  in  the 
design and performing of research projects through citizen science, the promotion of open 
educational  resources,  the  extension  of  open  peer  review  practices  and,  above  all,  the 
revision  of  the  system  of  incentives  and  recognition  through  new  ways  of  assessing 
research performance. These elements involve opening up the entire scientific process as 
much  and  as  early  as  possible  and  broadening  the  spectrum  of  research  results  beyond 
scientific  publications,  including  data,  protocols,  code,  methodologies,  software,  etc.  The 
concept of open science has a systemic vocation because it aims to comprehensively and 
coherently modify the four processes in which scientific activity is structured: (1) funding; (2) 
implementation; (3) communication; and (4) evaluation of research, overcoming the partial 
view, focused exclusively on the communication process, offered by open access policies.  

Illustration 1. The concept of open science has a systemic vocation because it aims to modify the four 
processes comprehensively and coherently in which scientific activity is structured: 

Funding

Evaluation

Execution

Communication

Source: Compiled by the author. 

Currently, open access policies are located within open science strategies or policies.  

  Objective of this study  

Latin America and the Caribbean is a strategic region for the EU and a natural partner for 
collaboration in the development of research and innovation policy priorities such as open 
science. 

This paper focuses on open access policies for scientific production in Latin America and 
the Caribbean and in the European Union.  

Its  general  objective  is  to  increase  knowledge  in  order  to  achieve  greater  alignment 
between the policies of open access to scientific results between both regions. Its specific 
objectives are: 

Its  general  objective  is  to  increase  knowledge  in  order  to  achieve  greater  alignment 
between the policies of open access to scientific results between both regions. Its specific 
objectives are: 

12 

 
 
 
(1)  To describe the movement that has taken place in Latin America and the Caribbean in 

favour of open access to scientific content through its major regional initiatives. 

(2)  To  understand  the  context  in  which  STI  public  action  is  developed  in  each  of  the 
countries / regions under study. To this end, STI governance systems are described, 
and funding, performing and assessment institutions are clearly identified. 

(3)  To determine the deployment level of open access policies in the countries / regions 
covered by this study. To analyse their existence, content and scope, and the maturity 
level  of  the  digital  infrastructures  for  communication  and  preservation  of  research 
outputs  is  described:  open  access  repositories,  academic  journals  and  curricular 
information management systems. 

(4)  To analyse the common challenges and convergence paths faced by both regions that 

facilitates a policy dialogue between the EU and LAC. 

(5)  Propose  specific  recommendations  for  joint  policy  action  and  establish  a  preliminary 
roadmap  towards  a  more  coordinated  intra-LAC  and  EU-LAC  collaboration  that  will 
contribute  to  strengthening  the  relationship  between  the  two  regions  by  jointly 
strengthening  overall  open  science  practices  in  research  and  innovation  and,  in 
particular, open access in scientific results. 

  Methodology and structure of the document 

The  conceptual  framework  underlying  this  study  is  that  public  policymaking  is  a  process 
that requires a political decision and technical implementation tools, which takes place in a 
given  institutional  framework,  with  certain  social  problems  that  respond  to  a  complex 
economic, social and technological environment. Therefore, in each of the countries/regions 
studied, the legal and institutional context explaining regional evolution and governance of 
STI systems has been analysed in as much detail as possible and the key actors within the 
national ecosystems have been identified: who are the funders, who implements and who 
evaluates  S&T  activities.  This  is  followed  by  a  description  of  the  status  of  open  access 
policies  and  the  degree  of  maturity  of  the  digital  infrastructures  required  for  their 
implementation. 

Publicly  available  documentary  sources,  mainly  legal  texts,  official  documents,  and 
academic  literature  on  the  study  subject  were  used  to  produce  the  work.  National  experts 
from the different countries analysed also collaborated in the drafting of the chapters (see 
acknowledgements).  Their  corrections  and  refinements  have  been  invaluable  in  ensuring 
that the information for each of the countries is accurate and up to date.  

This report contains sixteen chapters and eight annexes. After the introduction, the second 
chapter  addresses  regional  open  access  initiatives  in  Latin  America  and  the  Caribbean, 
starting  with  the  policy  statements  that  form  the  region's  own  narrative  and  conceptual 
framework, then moving on to detail the specific initiatives that have facilitated governance 
coordination  and  created  digital  infrastructure  networks  that  are  now  an  international 
hallmark.  

Chapters  three  to  fourteen  analyse  the  open  access  policies  of  Argentina,  Brazil,  Chile, 
Colombia,  Costa  Rica,  Ecuador,  El  Salvador,  Mexico,  Panama,  Peru,  Uruguay,  and  the 
European Union, respectively. They are all written following a common descriptive scheme 

13 

 
 
(see table 1). First, the institutional framework within which each country's STI policies are 
embedded is discussed. This analyses, on the one hand, the governance of R&D activities, 
i.e.,  the  legal  framework,  the  institutions  that  make  up  the  legal  framework  and  the 
documentary instruments on which it is based (plans, strategies, etc.). It also analyses the 
institutions responsible for funding research and the types of grants and programmes they 
manage,  which  entities  carry  out  research  and  development,  how  many  there  are,  their 
profile within the system and which entities evaluate scientific and research performance at 
individual  and  institutional  level,  including  the  process  and  purposes  of  such  evaluation. 
Summary  sheet  on  open  access  policies  in  Latin  American  and  Caribbean  countries  for 
each  country,  it  explains  how  far  they  have  progressed,  which  institution(s)  is/are  leading 
public action to promote open access and what the policy consists of. Thirdly, a description 
is  provided  of  the  developmental  status  of  the  digital  infrastructures  necessary  for  the 
implementation  of  open  access  policies  in  each  country:  repositories,  journals,  and 
curriculum  management  systems.  For  repositories,  the  analysis  addresses  their  number, 
whether  public  funds  finance  them,  whether  there  is  a  national  content  aggregator,  who 
manages it and what services it provides. For the journals, the analysis determines whether 
they have a support service (quality assessment, funding, digital publishing platform, etc.), 
the number of journals, whether or not there is a national SciELO node, and the number of 
journals registered in Latindex catalogue 2.0, in SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. The analysis 
of  curriculum  management  systems  addresses  their  (non-)  existence,  their  main  function, 
and the number of profiles they contain. 

14 

 
 
 
Table 1. Structure of the country sheets. Chapters 3 to 14 

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK OF STI ACTIVITY 
  Governance 

Legal framework describing it. 

Institutions that make up the legal framework, from highest to lowest hierarchical rank. 

Documentary instruments on which the legal framework is based: plan, strategy, etc. 

 Research Funding  

Description of the funding institution(s). 

Types of assistance and programmes they manage. 

 Research Performing  

Description, type and number of entities engaged in R&D.  

 Research Assessment  

Description of the institution(s) responsible for the evaluation of scientific and research 
merit at individual and institutional level, if applicable. 

Description of the research assessment process and purpose. 

OPEN ACCESS POLICY  

(Non-) existence of open access policy / policies. 

Responsible entity / entities. 

Level of development. 

Description of its contents. 

OPEN ACCESS DIGITAL PLATFORMS 
  Repositories  

Description of the population and its type. 

Funding mechanisms. 

(Non-) existence of national content aggregator. If so, who manages it and what services 
it provides. 

 Journals 

Description of the population and its type. 

Funding mechanisms. 

Existence of support services at institutional or national level (quality assessment, 
funding, digital publishing platforms, etc.). 

Number of national journals and profile (e.g., degree of professionalisation). 

Existence of national SciELO node. 

Number of journals registered in Latindex catalogue 2.0, in SciELO and in Redalyc. 

 Curriculum management systems 

Description of the platform and purpose. 

Number of profiles it contains. 

Source: Compiled by the author. 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For  each  country/region  analysed,  a  cover  factsheet  was  drawn  up  to  graphically  present 
their  most  important  indicators:  the  country's  relative  R&D  effort  in  terms  of  GDP,  the 
number  of  researchers  expressed  as  individuals  per  thousand  economically  active 
population  (EAP),  the  number  of  institutional  repositories  and  the  number  of  open  access 
journals.  For  the  first  two  indicators  the  Ibero-american  and  Inter-American  Science  and 
Technology  Indicators  Network  (RICYT)  was  used  as  a  data  source.  For  the  number  of 
repositories the Directory of  Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) was used as a data 
source.9 The source for the number of open access journals the Directory of Open Access 
Scientific and Academic Journals (DOAJ) was used as a source.10 The authors are aware 
that  these  last  two  sources  do  not  accurately  reflect  the  situation  in  LAC  countries,  as 
shown  by  the  information  sources  analysed  in  the  section  Open  Access  Digital  Platforms: 
LA  Referencia  and  national  sources  for  the  number  of  repositories  and  Latindex,  SciELO 
and  Redalyc  for  the  number  of  open  access  journals.  However,  we  have  decided  to  use 
them as headline data because they are robust, timely and are the only two that enabled us 
to  cover  almost  all  the  countries  in  the  region  and,  therefore,  to  make  comparisons.  The 
cover factsheet also contains a graphical visualisation of the existence or non-existence of 
national policy, legal framework and institutional policies on open access, the existence or 
non-existence  of  national  repositories  and  national  journals  aggregators,  and  a  curriculum 
management system. 

Table 2. Sources used for the indicators of this report 

SOURCES USED 

European Commission 

DOAJ 

Latindex (catalogue 2.0) 

Redalyc 

SciELO 

LA Referencia 

OpenAIRE 

OpenDOAR 

European Union research funding programmes conditions. 

No. of journals in open access. 

No. of journals in open access. 

No. of journals in open access. 

No. of journals in open access. 

No. of documents in open access. 

Name of the national aggregator in each country. 

Countries that have a national aggregator. 

Number of “Journal archives” collected by OpenAIRE. 

Number of repositories collected by OpenAIRE. 

Countries with a repository collected by OpenAIRE. 

No. of institutional repositories. 

No. of Open Access Repositories. 

9 See https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/opendoar/  
10 See https://doaj.org/  

16 

 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
RICYT 

Country's relative R&D effort as a share of GDP. 
Number of researchers, expressed in natural persons per 1,000 persons of 
the economically active population (EAP). 

Source: Compiled by the authors. 

Chapter  fifteen  addresses  the  common  challenges  faced  by  LAC  and  EU  countries  in 
designing  their  open  access  policies,  while  chapter  sixteen  lists  policy  recommendations 
that should be addressed in the political dialogue. 

17 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
2.  REGIONAL OPEN ACCESS INITIATIVES IN LATIN 

AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 

Latin  America  and  the  Caribbean  is  a  geographical  region  of  the  American  continent 
defined  by  the  United  Nations11  comprising  a  total  of  52  countries12,  dependent  territories 
and  overseas  departments,  with  a  combined  area  of  20.4  million  km2  and  a  total  of  658 
million inhabitants13.  

The  average  percentage  of  gross  domestic  product  (GDP)  spent  on  R&D  investment  in 
LAC  is  0.65%  in  202014.  All  countries  in  the  region  show  figures  below  1%  except  Brazil, 
which  is  an  exception  with  1.17%.  This  is  followed  by  Venezuela  with  0.69%,  Cuba  and 
Argentina with investments of 0.52%, and Uruguay with 0.45% (see figure 1).  

Figure 1. Country's relative R&D effort as a percentage of GDP, 2020 

Note:  Reference  year  for  Honduras,  2019;  Costa  Rica,  2018;  Puerto  Rico,  2015;  and  Ecuador,  2014. 
Remaining countries, 2020. 
Source: Compiled by the authors based on RICYT data. Access date: December 2022. 

11 See https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/  
12 These are: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, San 
Eustaquio y Saba, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, South 
Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Grenada, Guadalupe, Guatemala, French Guyana, Guyana, Haiti, 
Honduras, Bouvet Island, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, 
United States Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, 
Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin (French part), Saint Martin 
(Dutch part), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and 
Venezuela. 
13 See https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=ZJ  
14 Source: RICYT 
http://app.ricyt.org/ui/v3/comparative.html?indicator=GASTOxPBI&start_year=2011&end_year=2020   

18 

 
 
 
In terms of research personnel (Figure 2), the countries showing the greatest effort in terms 
of human resources are Argentina, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago with 5.14, 3.99 and 2.23 
researchers  per  thousand  economically  active  population  respectively,  followed  by  Chile 
and Puerto Rico (1.85), Uruguay (1.78), Costa Rica (1.74), Cuba (1.69), Ecuador (1.58) and 
Mexico (1.16). 

Figure 2. Researchers per thousand labour force, 2020  

Note: Reference year for El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, 2019; for Brazil and Costa Rica, 2018; for 
Jamaica and Panama, 2017; for Puerto Rico, 2015; for Ecuador and Bolivia, 2014; and for Nicaragua, 2012. 
Remaining countries 2020. 
Source: Compiled by the authors based on RICYT data. Access date: December 2022. 

The public discourse in favour of open access and open science in Latin America and the 
Caribbean has been decisively shaped over the last two decades through policy statements 
and  the  implementation  of  concrete  initiatives  that  have  facilitated  the  existence  of 
institutions and networks of digital infrastructures that are now international benchmarks.  

In  the  area  of  public  statements,  the  following  are  of  note  (in  chronological  order):  The 
Santo Domingo Declaration Science for the 21st Century: A New Vision and Framework for 
Action15,  adopted  at  the  Latin  American  and  Caribbean  Regional  Consultation  Meeting  of 
the  World  Conference  on  Science,  organised  by  UNESCO  and  published  by  the 
Organisation of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI)16 in 1999. 
This  high-level  policy  document  does  not  explicitly  talk  about  open  access,  but  it  lays  the 

15 See https://rieoei.org/historico/documentos/rie20a12.htm  
16 See https://oei.int/  

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
groundwork  for  the  coordination  of  STI  actions  in  the  region  and  introduces  a  narrative 
consistent  with  what  will  later  become  open  access  and  open  science  policies.  They 
recognise the importance of scientific research and technological development as levers for 
economic and social development, provide a democratic vision of science and set out three 
common  goals  for  LAC  countries:  (1)  expansion  of  the  group  of  individuals  who  benefit 
directly from advances in scientific and technological research; (2) expansion of access to 
science,  understood  as  a  central  component  of  culture;  (3)  social  control  of  science  and 
technology  and  its  orientation  based  on  collective  and  explicit  moral  and  political  choices 
(OEI, 1999). 

The  Salvador  Declaration  on  Open  Access:  The  Developing  World  Perspective17  was 
developed  and  signed  in  2005  by  the  Network  of  Latin  American  and  Caribbean  Social 
Science Virtual Libraries of CLACSO's Network of Member Centres in Salvador de Bahia, 
Brazil. This document contains a clear definition of what open access is and a defence of its 
benefits  and  urges  governments  to  make  it  a  priority  in  STI  policies.  This  Declaration  is 
often  cited  as  the  first  major  discursive  milestone  that  marked  the  design  of  open  access 
policies in the region (Aguirre-Ligüera, Maldini, Feo and Fontans 2022). 

The CLACSO General Assembly Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge Managed as a 
Common  Good18  was  signed  in  2015  in  Medellín  (Colombia).  It  addresses  the  problem 
faced by public STI systems due to the change of business model initiated by commercial 
publishers  from  subscription-based  access  to  open  access  with  APCs  and  calls  for  the 
need to rely on public and interoperable digital infrastructures, journals and repositories as 
a solution to address it. Its importance lies in the fact that it defined the model of scientific 
communication that has come to be known as non-commercial open access.  

The  Mexico  Declaration  in  Defence  of  the  Latin  American  Open  Access  Ecosystem  was 
published  by  Latindex,  Redalyc,  CLACSO  and  the  Brazilian  Institute  of  Science  and 
Technology  Information  (IBICT)  in  201719.  It  goes  deeper  into  the  need  to  defend  a  non-
commercial  open  access  model  in  the  region  and  strongly  underlines  the  public 
commitment of all the institutions involved to achieving it.  

Subsequently,  the  Panama  Declaration  on  Open  Science  (2018)20  was  made  public  by 
members of the university and civil society organisations gathered in Panama City at a side 
event  of  the  Open  Science  Forum  of  Latin  America  and  the  Caribbean  (CILAC)21,  2018. 
This declaration was a very important milestone in two respects. Firstly, it introduced for the 
first time the concept of open science by placing under it actions to promote open access to 
research results. Secondly, it showed that support for this type of initiative in the region is 
not  exclusive  to  preserve  of  the  social  and  human  sciences,  but  that  the  experimental 
sciences  also  have  a  significant  role  to  play  in  the  construction  of  the  social  discourse  in 
favour of open access and open science. 

All  these  declarations  have  provided  important  support  and  a  coherent  framework  of 
legitimacy  to  the  institutions  and  networks  that  have  put  into  practice  the  effective 
development  of  digital  infrastructures  that  have  positioned  LAC  as  the  region  where  all 
open access policies are based on deposit in national, institutional or thematic repositories 

17 See http://biblioteca.clacso.edu.ar/gsdl/collect/clacso/index/assoc/D771.dir/12Decla.pdf  
18  See  https://www.clacso.org.ar/conferencia2015/documentos/asamblea/declaraciones/4-Declaracion-de-
CLACSO-sobre%20el-acceso-abierto-al-conocimiento-gestionado-como-un-bien-comun.pdf 
19 See http://amelica.org/index.php/2020/06/12/acceso-abierto-no-comercial-y-la-declaracion-de-mexico/  
20 See https://forocilac.org/declaracion-de-panama-sobre-ciencia-abierta/ 
21 See https://forocilac.org/  

20 

 
 
and  which,  in  addition,  leads  the  model  of  academic  publishing  based  on  diamond 
academic  journals,  without  payment  for  reading  or  publishing,  with  non-commercial  open 
licences  (Aguirre-Ligüera,  Maldini,  Feo  and  Fontans  2022).  These  institutions  and  digital 
infrastructure networks are LA Referencia, Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and CLACSO. 

  LA Referencia 

The  Federated  Network  of  Institutional  Repositories  of  Scientific  Publications  (LA 
Referencia)22  is  the  Latin  American  network  for  collaboration  and  coordination  of  open 
access  and  open  science  policies,  founded  through  political  agreements  signed  by  the 
senior  authorities  for  science,  technology  and  education  of  the  member  governments.  Its 
mission  is  to  support  national  open  access  policies  in  Latin  America,  to  promote  free  and 
open  access  to  the  full  text  of  all  publicly  funded  research  results  and  to  make  their 
scientific production visible through institutional repositories. It is a unique forum for political 
and  technical  discussion  in  the  region  because  it  consists  of  government  representatives 
with  the  capacity  to  design  not  only  political  strategies,  but  also  technical  solutions  to  the 
challenges  of  implementing  open  access  policies.  This  makes  LA  Referencia  the  key 
initiative in terms of governance and coordination of these policies at regional level.  

To achieve its objectives LA Referencia operates a federated network structure of national 
nodes whose objectives are: (1) to offer publicly funded Ibero-American scientific output in 
open  access  through  the  cooperation  and  coordination  of  a  federated  network  of  national 
aggregators of institutional repositories; (2) to maintain guidelines and standards of quality, 
interoperability and best practices for information retrieval; (3) to make available to national 
aggregators  a  collection  platform  with  value  added  services  and  to  provide  the  necessary 
instruments for cooperation and interoperability with other related platforms; (4) to generate 
new  projects  and  initiatives  that  facilitate  better  services,  technological  updating  and 
coordination of public policies for open access at regional level. 

LA  Referencia  was  set  up  in  2010  as  a  project  coordinated  by  the  Latin  American 
Cooperation of Advanced Networks (RedCLARA) and financed by the Public Goods Fund 
of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The initial aim was to reach agreements to 
establish common policies, coordinate federated access to scientific resources and design 
interoperability standards. Since 2012, it has been a private non-profit association managed 
by  RedCLARA  and  governed  by  a  Board  of  Directors  consisting  of  representatives  of  the 
main national STI agencies of the member countries. The LA Referencia member countries 
at the date of publication of this report are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, 
Ecuador,  El  Salvador, Spain,  Mexico,  Panama,  Peru and  Uruguay.  The  Network  provides 
access  to  more  than  3.7  million  open  access  scientific  documents  from  more  than  400 
institutions. 

22 See https://www.lareferencia.info/  

21 

 
 
 
 
Figure 3. Latin American country members of LA Referencia and their national nodes 

Source: LA Referencia. 

LA  Referencia  maintains  active  relations  of  collaboration  and  understanding  with  other 
related  organisations  and  initiatives.  It  has  been  a  member  of  the  OpenAIRE  2020 
consortium23 (2015-2018) and the OpenAIRE Advance consortium24 (2028-2020), where it 
was  involved  in  software  development  activities  and  technological  tools  such  as  the 
statistics module, part of the web services and joint proofs of concept. It is also a member 
of  the  Confederation  of  Open  Access  Repositories  COAR25  and  it  actively  participates 
on  the  COAR  steering  committee.  Finally,  in  May  2022,  LA  Referencia  signed  a 
collaboration  agreement  with  Redalyc26  promote  mutual  information  enrichment  protocols 
based  on  metadata 
journals  and  open  access 
repositories. 

interoperability  between  diamond 

  CTCAP 

The  Commission  for  the  Scientific  and  Technological  Development  of  Central 
America and Panama (CTCAP)27 is a high level technical and political body of collegiate 
decision-making  whose  objective  is  to  coordinate  and  integrate  science,  technology  and 
innovation  policies  of  the  Central  American  sub-region,  Panama  and  the  Dominican 
Republic. It was created in 1975 by the Organisation of American States (OEA)28 within the 
Central  American  Integration  System  (SICA)29.  The  latter  is  an  official  forum  of  Heads  of 
State  and  Government  created  for  the  collaboration  in  developing  policies  that  promote 

23 See https://www.openaire.eu/openaire2020-project  
24 See https://www.openaire.eu/advance/  
25 See https://coar-repositories.org/  
26 See https://www.lareferencia.info/es/blog-masonry/noticias/item/299-la-referencia-firma-acuerdo-redalyc  
27 Ver en https://www.sica.int/ctcap/inicio  
28 Ver en https://www.oas.org/es/  
29 Ver en https://www.sica.int/  

22 

 
 
 
 
 
peace,  freedom,  democracy  and  development  as  essential  underlying  values.  CTCAP 
countries are: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the 
Dominican Republic. 

CTCAP  brings  together  and  formally  links  the  highest  authorities  of  the  sub-region's 
governments responsible for science and technology.  

It  is  structured  around  a  technical  secretariat  and  a  temporary  presidency.  The  former  is 
responsible  for  the  management,  support,  coordination  and  follow-up  of  the  decisions 
adopted  to  fulfil  the  plans,  policies,  strategies,  actions,  programmes  and  scientific  and 
technological  and  innovation  projects  agreed  upon  by  the  member  countries.  It  has  its 
permanent  headquarters  in  the  Republic  of  Guatemala  and  is  currently  under  the 
responsibility  of  the  National  Secretariat  of  Science  and  Technology  (Senacyt)30.  The  pro 
tempore presidency is exercised on a rotating basis for  a period of six months by a  SICA 
member state.  

CTCAP's  Strategic  Plan  2020-202531  establishes  18  joint  lines  of  work,  including 
coordination  on  open  access  under  the  heading  OER  regional  databases,  open  science, 
open  scientific  literature  in  academic  journals.  This  priority  has  its  correspondence  in  an 
intensive  collaboration  among  the  technical  teams  of  the  national  STI  bodies  in  open 
access  training  and  in  developing  initiatives  to  share  licences  for  to  scientific  resources 
access.  

  Latindex 

Latindex,  the  Regional  Online  Information  System  for  Scientific  Journals  in  Latin 
America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal,32 is a platform that offers free information 
on all scientific journals produced in the region and establishes editorial quality criteria for 
academic  publishing.  Created  in  1995  at  the  National  Autonomous  University  of  Mexico 
(UNAM), it became a regional cooperation network in 1997 with the aim of disseminating, 
making  accessible  and  raising  the  quality  of  academic  journals  published  in  the  region 
through shared work. It offers two information services: (1) Directory, available since 1997, 
is  an  exhaustive  list  that  registers  academic  journals  published  in  the  countries  of  the 
region. As of the date of this report, it has 22,392 titles, 76% of which are from countries in 
the LAC region. For each journal, it provides basic identification data, such as title, year of 
publication, publishing institution, specialist discipline, frequency, price and contact details; 
and (2) Catalogue 2.0, available since 2018, consists of electronic journals that meet the 38 
established  editorial  quality  criteria  of  Latindex33.  These  relate  to  basic  elements  of  the 
journals,  presentation,  management  and  editorial  policy, content  and  electronic  publishing 
and are published on the platform's website. As of the date of this report, it has 2,976 titles, 
66% of which are from countries in the LAC region. 

Latindex operates on the basis of regional cooperation through a responsible institution in 
each  participating country.  The  network  consists  of  24  institutions  that  are responsible  for 
updating the Directory data. This decentralization facilitates the completeness and proximity 

30 Ver en https://senacyt.gob.gt/portal/index.php  
31 Ver en https://www.sica.int/documentos/plan-estrategico-regional-de-la-comision-para-el-desarrollo-cientifico-y-
tecnologico-de-centroamerica-panama-y-republica-dominicana-ctcap_1_130772.html  
32 See https://www.latindex.org/ 
33 See https://www.latindex.org/latindex/postulacion/postulacionCatalogo  

23 

 
 
 
of  data  collection  and  evaluation  and  is  effective  in  ensuring  the  representativeness  of 
academic  journals  from  all  countries  in  the  region,  even  those  with  reduced  or  weak 
scientific publication systems. Latindex is the most inclusive and comprehensive source of 
information on academic journals in Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal and 
this comprehensive coverage is considered its greatest strength (Alperin 2014). 

Figure 4. Number of academic journals per LAC country registered in Latindex (catalogue 2.0)  

Source: Compiled by authors based on Latindex data. Access date: December 2022. 

  SciELO 

The  SciELO  Scientific  Electronic  Library  Online  is  a  service  for  academic  journals  that 
includes  (1)  a  methodology  for  the  preparation,  storage,  dissemination  and  evaluation  of 
scientific literature in electronic format; (2) an electronic publishing platform; (3) a metadata 
validator  based  on  its  own  XML-JATS  standard;  (4)  a  content  indexing  service;  (5)  an 
advanced  search  engine;  and  (6  a  set  of  bibliometric  indicators  called  SciELO  Citation 
Index,  that  are  integrated  to  the  Web  of  Science  (WoS)  platform  and  available  since 
January 2014.  

This initiative was launched in 1997 by the Latin American and Caribbean Centre for Health 
Sciences Information (BIREME), with support from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do 
Estado  de  São  Paulo  (Fapesp).  Its  main  objective  is  to  increase  the  quality  and 
dissemination  of  open  access  scientific  output  by  improving  and  extending  the  means  of 
evaluation and publication of scholarly contributions. Although originally serving only health 
science journals, as of the date of this report, it offers open access to more than 1 million 
articles  published  in  1,300  journals  in  all  disciplines,  published  in  13  LAC  countries  (see 
Figure  5),  in  Spain,  Portugal  and  South  Africa.  SciELO's  work  is  structured  in  a 

24 

 
 
 
 
decentralised  format,  through  national  nodes  that  manage  the  evaluation  and  indexing  of 
journals published within their geographical areas. 

Figure 5. 6: Number of academic journals per LAC country part of the SciELO network. 

Source: Compiled by authors based on SciELO data. Access date: December 2022. 

  Redalyc  

The  Diamond  Open  Access  scientific  journal  network  (Redalyc)  34is  a  is  an  open 
infrastructure  for  open-access  scientific  journals  without  article  processing  charges 
(diamond open access) that includes: (1) an electronic publishing and editing platform; (2) 
an  indexing  system  for  titles  of  proven  scientific  and  editorial  quality;  (3)  a  metadata 
standardisation  service;  (4)  statistics  for  each  indexed  journal,  including  particularly 
comprehensive  data  on  author  affiliations,  national  and  international  collaborations  and 
production  profiles  for  each  journal,  institution  and  country;  and  (5)  an  OAI-PMH  data 
provider that ensures the interoperability of Redalyc journals with open access repositories 
and enables them to automatically retrieve the scientific output of their institutions.  

This initiative emerged in 2003 as an academic project of the Autonomous University of the 
State  of  Mexico  (UAEM)  with  the  aim  of  giving  visibility,  consolidating  and  improving  the 
editorial quality of journals of the Social Sciences and the Humanities in the Latin American 
region.  In  2006  it  was  opened  to  all  areas  of  knowledge  and  extended  its  geographical 
range  to  include  journals  from  Spain  and  Portugal.  It  continues  to  be  supported  by  the 

34 See https://www.redalyc.org/  

25 

 
 
 
 
UAEM and, since 2019, has launched a strategy of clear commitment to the diamond model 
as the only way to implement a viable open access strategy. Redalyc guarantees that the 
journals published and/or indexed on its platform: (1) maintain proven editorial and scientific 
quality  practices;  (2)  publish  in  XML-JATS  digital  format;  (3)  follow  an  open  access 
business  model,  with  no  article  processing  fees;  (4)  share  the  vision  of  overcoming  the 
current  evaluation  of  research  performance  based  on  bibliometric  indicators  of  the 
academic journals in which the papers are published and of promoting the inclusion of local 
science and linguistic diversity for the common good.  

Redalyc offers access to 1,518 certified online electronic academic journals, broken down 
by  discipline,  published  by  716  institutions  from  27  countries,  with  a  combined  total  of 
779,591 articles. Brazil, Mexico and Colombia are the countries with the highest number of 
academic journals in Redalyc (see figure 6). 

Figure 6: Number of academic journals indexed in Redalyc by LAC countries. 

Source: Compiled by authors, based on Redalyc data. Access date: December 2022. 

In November 2018, Redalyc and CLACSO jointly launched the creation of AmeliCA 35at the 
UNESCO Special Forum on Democratisation of Academic Knowledge: The Challenges for 
Open  Access  to  Knowledge.  This  is  a  LAC  region-specific  strategy  for  the  coordinated 
implementation  of  open  access  and  open  science  policies  across  the  region  based  on  its 
strengths,  good  practices  and  lessons  learned.  This  strategy,  supported  by  UNESCO, 
seeks  to  be  a  regional  counterpoint  to  the  model  advocated  by  cOAalition  S36  through 

35 See http://amelica.org/  
36 See https://www.coalition-s.org/  

26 

 
 
 
 
PlanS37 and to provide a collaborative, sustainable, protected and non-commercial solution 
for  open  knowledge  in  Latin  America  and  the  Global  South.  Like  PlanS,  this  strategy 
focuses on academic journals as the essential vehicle through which scientific communities 
communicate  their  research  results,  although  it  differs  diametrically  from  PlanS  in  its 
defence  of  a  public  and  free  model  of scientific  publishing,  as  opposed  to  the inclusion  of 
the  interests  of  large commercial  publishers  within  PlanS.  AmeliCA's strategy  is  based  on 
ten  fundamental  principles:  (1)  scientific  knowledge  generated  with  public  funds  is  a 
common good and access to it is a universal right; (2) the open publishing model should be 
enhanced,  owned  by  the  academy,  non-profit,  sustainable,  with  responsible  metrics,  and 
should  not  include  article  processing  charges  (APC);  (3)  open  access  has  no  future  or 
meaning without an evolution in research evaluation systems that value the publication on 
its own merits and not where it is published; (4) the consolidation of open access requires 
the  transition  to  digital  scientific  communication;  (5)  the  economic  investment  in  open 
access must be consistent with its benefit to society; (6) the sustainability of open access 
must  be  based  on  cooperative  work  schemes  and  horizontal  coverage  of  costs;  (7)  it  is 
necessary to recognize the diversity of scientific academic journals and stop the pressures 
that seek to homogenize them; (8) academic journals must allow authors to retain the rights 
to  their  work  and  remove  their  embargo  policies;  (9)  the  societal  impact  of  science  is  the 
basis  for  the  existence  of  open  access;  (10)  it  is  necessary  to  respect  the  different 
dynamics of generation and circulation of knowledge by area, especially in the case of the 
Social Sciences and the Humanities. 

AmeliCA,  like  PlanS,  has  developed  a  self-assessment  tool  so  that  all  journals  worldwide 
can verify their degree of compliance with these principles. All Redalyc academic journals 
are automatically certified. This initiative was recognised with the SPARC Innovation Award 
2019. 

  CLACSO 

The  Latin  American  Council  for  Social  Sciences  (CLACSO)38  is  an  international  non-
governmental institution with associative status at UNESCO, created in 1967, whose main 
lines of action include the promotion of open access and the democratisation of knowledge. 
At  the  date  of  this  study,  it  brings  together  836  research  and  postgraduate  centres  in  the 
social  sciences  and  humanities  in  55  countries  in  Latin  America  and  other  continents.  Its 
aims  are:  (1)  to  promote  social  research  to  combat  poverty  and  inequality,  to  strengthen 
human  rights  and  democratic  participation;  (2)  to  encourage,  from  the  contributions  of 
academic  research  and  critical  thinking,  to  the  promotion  of  sustainable  development 
policies  in  economic,  social  and  environmental  terms;  (3)  to  build  bridges  between  social 
research and public policies, promoting innovative, creative and viable actions in response 
to the great social, educational, cultural and environmental challenges of Latin America and 
the  Caribbean;  (4)  to  support  the  formation  of  networks  of  researchers  and  institutions 
working in the field of the social sciences and humanities; (5) to strengthen the processes 
of academic internationalisation in Latin America and the Caribbean; (6) to expand South-
South  and  North-South  cooperation  and  academic  dialogue;  (7)  to  stimulate  the 
development  and  consolidation  of  the  social  sciences  and  critical  thinking  in  the  poorest 
countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; (8) to be involved in the national and regional 
public  debate,  providing  the  perspectives  and  contributions  of  results-based  social 
research; (9) to collaborate in the training of government agents, social activists and media 

37 See https://www.coalition-s.org/why-plan-s/  
38 See https://www.clacso.org/institucional/  

27 

 
 
 
professionals in social, educational, cultural and environmental issues, bringing them closer 
to  the  problems  addressed  by  the  social sciences  and  to  the  evidence  provided  by social 
research;  (10)  to  generate  conditions  of  open  access  to  Latin  American  and  Caribbean 
academic output, contributing to the democratisation of access to knowledge and enabling 
it to be more actively used by public policy makers, social and citizens' organisations, the 
press and the university system itself.  

To  achieve  its  objectives,  CLACSO  has  a  large  number  of  working  groups,  including  the 
working  group  Open  Knowledge  as  a  Common  Good39  made  up  of  twenty-seven 
experts of recognized prestige from ten different countries. This group proposes the need to 
approach the implementation of open access policies taking account of the analysis of the 
different  models  of  academic  publishing  (commercial  models  versus  diamond  model)  and 
their respective predominance in Europe and Latin America.  

Another  initiative  developed  within  CLACSO  is  the  Latin  American  Forum  on  Scientific 
Evaluation (FOLEC)40. This is a regional space for debate and exchange on the meanings, 
policies  and  practices  of  scientific  merit  assessment  processes  in  the  region.  The  work  is 
developed  through  forums  and  seminars  in  which  CLACSO  articulates  and  promotes 
reflection in conjunction with the National Science and Technology Organisations (ONCYT) 
of the LAC countries and other partner institutions. This is how FOLEC aims to promote a 
change in the incentive and recognition systems for research work, consistent with the open 
science paradigm and to  reward open, common and public knowledge practices and their 
link  to  democratising  and  sustainable  models,  committed  to  social  problems.  It  seeks  to 
share  experiences  and  find  points  of  agreement  to  build  and  strengthen  evaluation 
instruments that can be applied to the scientific systems of the LAC countries. Its partners 
include  LA  Referencias,  AmeliCA,  Redalyc,  Latindex  and  SciELO.  In  June  2022,  it 
published the declaration A New Academic and Scientific Assessment for Socially Relevant 
Science in Latin America and the Caribbean41. This is a common statement of principles for 
responsible  academic  assessment,  produced  from  and  for  Latin  America  and  the 
Caribbean.  Through 
the 
implementation  of  these  principles  by  the  ONCYTs,  scientific  institutions  and  higher 
education institutions in the region. 

this  statement,  CLACSO-FOLEC 

to  promote 

is  seeking 

39 See https://www.clacso.org/grupos-de-trabajo/grupos-de-trabajo-2019-2022/?pag=detalle&refe=4&ficha=1724  
40 See https://www.clacso.org/folec/  
41 See https://biblioteca-repositorio.clacso.edu.ar/bitstream/CLACSO/169563/1/Declaracion-CLACSO-FOLEC-
version-extendida.pdf  

28 

 
 
 
  3. Argentina 

0.52% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

3.  ARGENTINA  

5.14% 
Research 
staff/EAP in 
(0/00)* 

65 
Institutional 
repositories 

361 
Open access 
journals  

National OA 
policy

National repository 
aggregator

OA legal 
framework 

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Source: Law 26899: and Regulation of Law 26.899. 
Data: Compiled by author based on RICyT, LA Referencia, OpenDOAR and DOAJ. 
Note: Data referring to 2020. No. of researchers per thousand of labour force (0/00). 

The Science, Technology and Innovation 
Law (25.467) of 2001 regulates the 
advisory, planning, coordination, execution 
and assessment bodies of the Argentine 
STI system at the different administrative 
levels, their membership and their powers. 

Argentina has a strong national open 
access policy supported by its legal 
framework. The Law on open access 
institutional digital repositories 
(26.899) of 2013 establishes obligations 
for institutions and for research 
personnel. 

. 

ARGENTINA 

All  public  entities  of  the  National  STI  System  must  develop  open  access  institutional  digital 
repositories.  Research  personnel  whose  research  activity  is  publicly  funded  must  deposit  a  copy  of 
the final version of their scientific-technological  output accepted for publication in the corresponding 
institutional open access repository within six months for scientific literature and within five years for 
primary research data. 

It 

of 

the 
open 

The  National  System  of  Digital 
national 
Repositories 
is 
access 
aggregator 
establishes 
repositories. 
technological 
guidelines 
interoperability, 
common 
policies,  standards  and  protocols 
to  all  its  members,  and  funds  the 
creation, 
and 
maintenance of repositories. 

development, 

sets 

for 

The Argentine Centre for Scientific 
and  Technological 
Information 
(CAICYT)  of  CONICET  supports 
scientific  information  management 
and scholarly publishing initiatives.  

CVar  is  the  unified  standardised 
national register of curricular data 
of  researchers  in  Argentina.  It 
contains  more  than  100,000  CVs 
and  it  is  used  as  a  tool  for  the 
application  of  R&D&I  projects 
public calls. 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Institutional framework 

Argentina  is  the  second  largest  country  in  the  LAC area,  after Brazil.  It  is  a  decentralised 
federal  state  of  23  provinces  and  the  Autonomous  City  of  Buenos  Aires.  These  24 
jurisdictions  are  self-governing  districts  with  competences  in  several  areas,  including 
science, technology and innovation. This decentralization is reflected in the institutional and 
governance framework of its national STI system. 

Governance 

The  Law  on  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (25.467)  of  200142  establishes  the 
political advisory, planning, coordination, performing and evaluation bodies at the different 
administrative  levels,  their  composition  and  their  powers.  It  also  sets  out  the  STI 
competences to be developed at the national and at the provincial level. 

The  Ministry  of  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (MINCyT)43  is  defined in  the Law 
as the highest-level body responsible for defining STI policies, research funding, research 
infrastructures provision, promoting the relationship between the academic and productive 
systems  and  knowledge  dissemination.  MINCyT  is  made  up  of  three  major  units:  the 
Department of Scientific and Technological Coordination44, the Department of Planning and 
Policies  in  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation45,  and  the  Undersecretariat  for  the 
Federalisation of Science, Technology and Innovation46. 

MINCyT  is  part of  other  coordination  bodies  of  the  national  STI  system  established in  the 
Law. At the national level, the Scientific and Technological Cabinet (GACTEC) is chaired 
by the head of the Cabinet of Ministers and is made up of all ministers and all secretaries of 
state engaged in STI related activities. Its task is to establish the national priorities through 
a  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  Plan,  to  provide  it  with  an  annual  budget 
and to evaluate its performance. At the territorial level, some provincial governments have 
specific  agencies  for STI  promotion  and  coordination  activities  among  which  the  Scientific 
Research Commission of the Province of Buenos Aires (CIC)47 and the Ministry of Science 
and Technology of the Province of Cordoba stand out48. The Federal Council of Science 
and Technology (COFECyT)49, chaired by the MINCyT, coordinates national and regional 
policies,  priorities  and  activities  to  guarantee  a  harmonious  development  of  STI  activities 
throughout the country.  

The Law establishes the National Science, Technology and Innovation Plan (PNCTI) as 
the instrument for the definition, organization and communication of STI policies, strategies 
and  implementation  mechanisms  to  the stakeholders  of the  National Science,  Technology 
and Innovation System. In 2020, the Innovative Argentina Plan 202050 came to its end. As 
of the date of this report, a draft of the new National Plan for Science, Technology and 
Innovation  2030  (PNCTI)51  was  published  in  September  2020.  This  new  PNCTI 
encompass  a  comprehensive  definition  of  the  current  context  for  the  formulation  of  the 

42 See http://servicios.infoleg.gob.ar/infolegInternet/verNorma.do?id=69045  
43 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia  
44 Seehttps://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/sact 
45 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/seppCTI 
46 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/subsecretaria-de-federalizacion-de-la-ciencia-tecnologia-e-innovacion 
47 See https://www.cic.gba.gob.ar  
48 See https://mincyt.cba.gov.ar/  
49 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/cofecyt  
50 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/sites/default/files/pai2020.pdf 
51 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/plan-nacional-cti/plan-cti  

30 

 
 
National  STI  Plan  and  a  description  of  its  underlying  policies  and  strategies.  The  PNCTI 
addresses national, territorial, cross-cutting and institutional change agendas. 

Research Funding  

The STI funding agencies in Argentina are MINCyT, the National Agency for the Promotion 
of Research, Technological Development and Innovation, the National Council for Scientific 
and Technical Research (CONICET) and those science and technology organisations and 
National Universities with specific budgets and funding calls. 

for  proposals 

MINCyT  is  the  largest  STI  funding  agency  in  Argentina.  It  manages  regularly  public  open 
competitive  calls 
technological 
entrepreneurship,  research  activities,  training  and  attracting  talent,  and  infrastructure  and 
equipment  modernisation52.  For  the  submission  of  proposals,  MINCyT  has  developed  the 
Project  Management  System  (PMS)53.  This  is  an  online  platform  for  applicants  and 
beneficiaries to manage the submission process and their projects at the execution stage.  

innovative  projects, 

financing 

for 

The National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development and 
Innovation  (R&D&I Agency)54 is a decentralised public national entity under the MINCyT 
and  with  administrative  independence.  Its  task  is  to  finance  scientific  and  technological 
research and innovation projects for knowledge generation and for improving the productive 
system.  It  manages  three  funds:  the  Fund  for  Scientific  and  Technological  Research 
(FONCyT)55, to support basic and applied research projects and activities to generate new 
scientific,  technological  and  innovative  knowledge  at  public  and  private  non-profit 
institutions;  the  Argentine  Technological  Fund  (FONTAR)56,  to  support  technological 
innovation  projects  for  improving  the  productivity  of  the  private  sector;  and  the 
Argentine Sectoral Fund (FONARSEC)57, to support knowledge transfer and strength the 
link between the scientific and technological sector and the socio-productive sector 
in order to contribute to the solution of social and economic problems. The budget for these 
funds  comes  directly  from  the  National  Treasury,  the  Inter-American  Development  Bank 
(IDB), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the Development 
Bank  of  Latin  America  (CAF)  and  the  Central  American  Bank  for  Economic  Integration 
(CABEI), as well as reimbursable financing from cooperation agreements with national and 
international organisations or institutions. 

The  National  Council  for  Scientific  and  Technical  Research  (CONICET)58  is  a  self-
governing body of the National State under the auspices of the MINCyT created in 1958. Its 
role  is  to  promote  and  implement  scientific  and  technological  activities  throughout  the 
national  territory  and  in  the  different  areas  of  knowledge.  It  funds  public  calls  to  support 
scientific  and  technological  research  projects,  the  financing  of  institutes,  laboratories  and 
research  centres,  scientific  and  technological  exchange,  and  cooperation  activities  at  the 
national  and  the  international  level,  internships  and  scholarships,  awards  and  credits  to 
support scientific research. 

52 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/financiamiento/convocatorias-abiertas-mincyt 
53 See http://sgp.mincyt.gob.ar/SGP/Seguridad/Login.aspx  
54 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/agencia  
55 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/agencia/fondo-para-la-investigacion-cientifica-y-tecnologica-foncyt  
56 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/agencia/fondo-tecnologico-argentino-fontar  
57 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/agencia/fondo-argentino-sectorial-fonarsec  
58 See https://www.conicet.gov.ar/conicet-descripcion/  

31 

 
 
 
 
Research Performing  

The  bodies  that  conduct  research  in  Argentina  are  public  universities,  private  universities 
and Science and Technology Organisations (OCTs). 

The  Argentinean  university  sector  comprises  66  public  universities  and  69  private 
universities.  The  most  significant,  in  terms  of  size  and  importance,  are  the  University  of 
Buenos Aires, with more than 30,000 students, and the National University of La Plata, with 
more than 10,000 students.  

In addition to being a funding agent, the main body for the implementation of scientific and 
technological  activities  in  Argentina  is  CONICET.  As  of  the  date  of  this  study,  more  than 
11,000 researchers, more than 10,800 doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, more than 2,700 
technicians and research support professionals and approximately 1,300 administrative and 
administrative  staff  work  in  CONICET.  It  has  a  total  of  16  scientific  and  technological 
centres  (CCT),  11  research  and  transfer  centres  (CIT),  one  multidisciplinary  research 
centre  and  more  than  300  institutes  and  joint  centres  between  CONICET,  national 
universities  and  other  institutions.  Its  activity  focuses  on  four  major  knowledge  areas: 
agricultural, engineering and materials sciences; life and health sciences; natural sciences; 
social sciences and humanities. 

In  addition  to  CONICET,  there  is  a  large  population  of  17  national  public  research 
organisations  engaged  in  sectoral  research.  These  are:  the  National  Institute  of 
Agricultural Technology (INTA)59, the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI)60, the 
National  Atomic  Energy  Commission  (CNEA)61,  the  National  Commission  for  Space 
Activities  (CONAE)62,  the  National  Administration  of  Laboratories  and  Health  Institutes 
(ANLIS)63,  the  National  Antarctic  Directorate  (DNA)64,  the  National  Institute  for  Fisheries 
Research  and  Development  (INIDEP)65,  the  Argentine  Antarctic  Institute  (IAA)66,  the 
National  Water  Institute  (INA)67,  the  Institute  of  Scientific  and  Technical  Research  for 
Defence  (CITEDEF)68,  the  Argentine  Geological  Mining  Service  (SEGEMAR)69,  the  Dr. 
Manuel  Sadosky  Foundation70  (public-private  foundation),  the  Argentine  Nanotechnology 
Foundation  (FAN)71,  the  National  Geographical  Institute,  the  Leloir  Institute  Foundation72, 
the  National  Institute  for  Seismic  Prevention  (INPRES)  73,  the  Naval  Hydrography  Service 
(SHN) 74  and the National Meteorological Service (SMN)75. 

59 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/inta  
60 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/inti  
61 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/cnea  
62 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/conae  
63 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/salud/anlis  
64 See https://www.cancilleria.gob.ar/es/iniciativas/dna/direccion-nacional-del-antartico  
65 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/inidep  
66 See https://www.cancilleria.gob.ar/es/iniciativas/dna  
67 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ina  
68 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/defensa/citedef  
69 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/produccion/segemar  
70 See https://www.fundacionsadosky.org.ar/  
71 See https://www.fan.org.ar/  
72 See https://www.leloir.org.ar/  
73 See https://www.inpres.gob.ar/  
74 See http://www.hidro.gov.ar/  
75 See https://www.smn.gob.ar/  

32 

 
 
The  Inter-institutional  Council  for  Science  and  Technology  (CICYT)76  embodies  the 
highest-level representation  of universities and national organisations involved in scientific 
and technological activities.  

Finally,  there  is  a  Register  of  Scientific  and  Technological  Organisms  and  Entities 
(ROECyT)77, where research performing organizations are registered to be entitled for tax 
benefits for goods and services imports, as regulated by Law. There are 19778 institutions 
registered. 

Research Assessment  

The  Law  regulates  the  evaluation  of  scientific  and  technological  activity  as  a  permanent 
obligation of the State. However, there is no national assessment agency but each funding 
or  performing  institution  manages  its  own  assessment  processes  under  its  own  criteria. 
This  leads  to  inconsistency,  lack  of  coordination  and  overlapping  of  both  processes  and 
deadlines between assessment bodies and can even lead to contradictory and incongruent 
actions and redundant processes (Bilmes, Fushimi and Liaudat: (2019). 

CONICET carries out peer review of scientific-technological personnel careers development 
of researchers and supporting staff, as well as for their grant programmes. CONICET also 
evaluates  research  projects.  This  is  done  with  the  support  of  Advisory  Committees 
specifically set up for this work. It uses the SIGEVA Integrated Management and Evaluation 
System79 as the technological management tool. 

MINCyT  carries  out  the  Institutional  Evaluation  Programme  (PEI)80  through  which  it 
carries  out  permanent  assessment  of  the  institutions  belonging  to  the  National  Science, 
Technology and Innovation System with the aim of guaranteeing continuous improvement. 
The  PEI  evaluates  the  performance  of  the  R&D  role  both  within  the  institution  and  in 
relation  to  its  social  and  productive  environment.  This  is  a  three  staged  work:  self-
evaluation,  external  evaluation,  and  improvement  plan.  Throughout  the  process,  the 
institutions  receive  technical  and  financial  support  from  MINCyT.  As  of  the  date  of  this 
report, there are 59 institutions awarded by the PEI. 

  Open access policy and legal framework 

Argentina has a strong national open access policy to scientific literature and research data. 
It is set in the Law on Open Access Institutional Digital Repositories: 26.89981, adopted 
in  2013,  and  its  implementing  regulation82,  adopted  in  2016.  This  Law  is  addressed 
primarily  to  public  research  organizations  and  institutions  of  the  National  System  of 
Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  that  receive  public  funding.  They  are  obliged  to 
develop  their  own  or  shared  open-access  institutional  digital  repositories,  in  which  all 
scientific  and  technological  output  of  their  research  personnel  produced  fully  or  partly 
financed  with  public  funds  must  be  deposited.  This  includes  journal  articles,  technical-

76 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/cicyt  
77 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/roecyt 
78 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/sites/default/files/registro_de_instituciones_roecyt_09-06-2021.pdf  
79 See https://sigeva.conicet.gov.ar/  
80 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/pei  
81See https://repositoriosdigitales.mincyt.gob.ar/files/Boletin_Oficial_Law_26899.pdf  
82 See https://repositoriosdigitales.mincyt.gob.ar/files/Boletin_Oficial_Resolucion_753.pdf  

33 

 
 
 
scientific  papers,  theses,  primary  data  or  raw  data,  among  others.  In  addition,  they  must 
establish  policies  for  public  access  to  primary  research  data  and  for  its  management  and 
long-term preservation. In other words, the Law focuses on institutions and obliges them to 
have both open access repositories and institutional open access policies. 

The Law also affects all research funding public calls, which are required to include in their 
contractual clauses the presentation of a management plan for primary data and a plan to 
guarantee the public availability of the expected results. 

In  addition,  the  Law  and  its  regulation  establishes  that  open  access  to  scientific  literature 
should  be  provided  in  no more than  six months  from  the  date  of  the  official  publication  or 
approval  by  a  competent  authority.  In  the  case  of  primary  data,  no  more  than  five  years 
from  the  collection  date.  It  also  entitles  institutions  to  require  their  students  and  research 
personnel  to  immediately  deposit  their  scientific-technological  outputs,  to  publish  the 
metadata  in  the  repository  and  to  provide  access  to  the  contents  in  periods  shorter  than 
those established by the Law.  

MINCyT is the body responsible for ensuring full and proper compliance with this Law. To 
this  end,  it  created  the  National  System  of  Digital  Repositories  (SNRD)  in  2011.  The 
implementing  regulations  of  Law  26.899  tasks  MINCyT  with  the  promotion,  consolidation, 
coordination  and  dissemination  of  institutional  and  thematic  digital  repositories  of  science 
and  technology,  the  responsibility  of  establishing  interoperability  standards  and  technical 
guidelines for digital preservation to be adopted by the repositories, as well as the technical 
tasks to implement them. In addition, MINCyT is responsible for providing open and unified 
access  to  the  metadata,  full  texts  and  their  primary  data  of  the  scientific-technological 
output  held  in  the  digital  repositories  and  for  evaluating  the  level  of  compliance  with  the 
Law.  

There  are  universities  and  research  centres  that  have  their  own  institutional  open  access 
policy. At the date of publication of this report, MINCyT is working on an evaluating of the 
degree  of  compliance  by  research  public  institutions  with  the  legal  mandate  that  requires 
them to have open access infrastructures and policies.  

Finally,  in  March  2021  the  Department  of  Scientific  and  Technological  Coordination  of 
MINCyT  created  the  Advisory  Committee  on  Open  Science  and  Citizen  Science83,  which 
has written the document Diagnosis and Roadmap for an Open Science Policy in Argentina 
84. Its objective is to  design a national strategy to expand the open access policy towards 
open  science,  within 
the  UNESCO 
Recommendation. The document contains a specific proposal of lines of action focused on: 
(1)  open  access  publishing;  (2)  open  access  books;  (3)  open  access  to  primary  research 
data,  software  and  code;  (4)  citizen  and  participatory  science;  (5)  open  and  collaborative 
infrastructures; (6) incentives for open science; and (7) open science monitoring. 

the  new  context  set  by 

framework  of 

the 

83 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/comite-ciencia-abierta  
84 See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/sites/default/files/2023/01/cac_final_document_-_english_version.pdf  

34 

 
 
 
 
  Open access digital platforms 

Argentina has a robust architecture of digital platforms for implementing its national and the 
institutional open access policies.  

Repositories  

In accordance with Law 26.899, all bodies conducting research in Argentina have (or must 
have) their  own  or a shared  open  access  institutional  repository  and its  own  open  access 
policy. 

The  National  System  of  Digital  Repositories  (SNRD)85  is  the  national  network  of  digital 
repositories of science and technology. It was established by MINCyT in 2016, through the 
Resolution  753  E/2016  that  develops  Law  26.899,  to  guarantee  the  interoperability  of  all 
platforms  through  the  establishment  of  common  policies,  standards,  and  protocols.  At  the 
date  of  this  study,  SNRD  provides  access  to  more  than  366,000  open  access  resources 
from  45  repositories.  These  include  the  repositories  of  the  National  University  of  La  Plata 
(which contributes 29.91% of the content), CONICET (22.85%), the Faculty of Humanities 
and Education Sciences at the La Plata National University (8.44%), the Cordoba National 
University (3.61%) and the Rosario National University (3.11%).  

The  services  provided  by  the  SNRD  to  the  national  repository  community  include  support 
and funding for the creation and strengthening of digital repositories86 and for the training of 
human  resources  for  the  development  and  management  of  repositories87.  To  access  the 
funding,  the  institution  must  meet  some  basic  requirements,  such  as  carrying  out 
substantive activities linked to R&D&I and having an institutional open access policy. 

The SNRD is the national node of LA Referencia. 

Moreover,  open  access  institutional  repositories  are  harvested  and  aggregated  in  the 
Unified  Database  (BDU)88.  The  BDU  is  a  browser  that  brings  together  the  information 
resources held by Argentine libraries and research centres and provides access to the full 
text  of  archived  digital  objects.  The  BDU  has  504,338  records  in  the  catalogue  of  98 
repositories from 46 institutions.  

The Electronic Library of Science and Technology (BECT)89 is an initiative managed by 
the  MINCyT  which  seeks  to  provide  licences  for  online  access  to  scientific  resources: 
academic  journals,  databases  of  bibliographical  references,  books,  books,  conference 
papers, etc. It has its own budget line within the national budget. 

85 See https://repositoriosdigitales.mincyt.gob.ar/vufind/  
86 See https://repositoriosdigitales.mincyt.gob.ar/files/fortalec_bd_bases_SNRD.pdf  
87 See https://repositoriosdigitales.mincyt.gob.ar/files/rrhh_bases_SNRD.pdf  
88 See https://bdu.siu.edu.ar/  
89 See https://biblioteca.mincyt.gob.ar/  

35 

 
 
 
 
Academic Journals  

The national open access policy does not include academic journals. Initiatives to support 
national scholarly publishing services are not promoted by MINCyT but by CONICET.  

The  largest  support  for  scientific  academic  journals  in  Argentina  is  provided  by  the 
Argentine Centre for Scientific and Technological Information (CAICYT)90, a CONICET 
research  institute  dedicated  to  the  management  of  scientific  information  and  support  for 
academic publishing. Its competences cover the inter-institutional coordination of initiatives 
related  to  bibliographical  reference  databases,  open  access  to  scientific  communication, 
information infrastructures, controlled languages and bibliographical formats, among others. 
Regarding support for academic journals, it engages in the following actions:  

The Basic Core of Argentine Scientific Academic Journals (NBR)91 is a service for the 
evaluation  of  national  academic  publications,  in  force  since  1999,  whose  evaluation 
parameters  are  based  on  scientific  and  editorial  quality  international  criteria  and  are 
established in CONICET Resolution 1640/05. The NBR has 338 awarded journals from all 
fields of knowledge. The outputs of the evaluation carried out by the NBR are used as a tool 
for CAICYT in its role as the SciELO Argentina national node92 and the National Collection 
Centre of Latindex93. 

The Scientific and Technical Publications Portal (PPCT)94 is the editorial support service 
for  scientific  publications  provided  by  CAICYT  since  2009.  Through  the  PPCT,  academic 
journals  have  access  to  a  professionalised,  digital,  open  access  space  that  supports  the 
entire  editorial  process.  The  PPCT  provides  Argentine scientific  academic  journals  editors 
with  early  stage  advise  and  support  for  online  manuscript  reception,  peer  review,  editing 
and electronic publication in order for them to achieve quality levels based on international 
standards and autonomy for online publishing. 

CAICYT is also the Argentine ISSN Centre95 (International Standard Serial Number). They 
are  responsible  for  the  identification  of  continuing  resources  published  in  the  country,  the 
assignment of the ISSN code, their registration in the ISSN international database and their 
dissemination. 

Argentine  academic  journals  have  a  significant  presence  in  Latindex,  with  409  academic 
journals in catalogue 2.0, in SciELO Argentina, with 96 indexed titles and in Redalyc, with a 
total  of  100  academic  journals.  Regarding  the  International  Directory  of  Open  Access 
Journals  (DOAJ),  Argentina has  a  total  of  361  indexed  academic  journals,  which  places it 
just behind Brazil and Colombia as the third Latin American country with the largest number 
of academic journals in this directory. 

90 See http://www.caicyt-conicet.gov.ar/  
91 See http://www.caicyt-conicet.gov.ar/sitio/comunicacion-cientifica/nucleo-basico/  
92 See http://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php 
93 See https://latindex.org/latindex/inicio  
94 See http://www.caicyt-conicet.gov.ar/sitio/comunicacion-cientifica/ppct/  
95 See http://www.caicyt-conicet.gov.ar/sitio/comunicacion-cientifica/issnar/  

36 

 
 
 
 
Table 3. Number of Argentinian academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO and Redalyc 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO Argentina 

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No. of journals 

409 

96 

100 

361 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. Access date: 
December 2022. 

Curriculum management systems 

MINCYT  manages  the  Argentine  Science  and  Technology  Information  System 
(SICYTAR)96,  the  official  platform  for  access  to  information  of  public  interest  in  science, 
technology  and  innovation  in  the  country.  It  is  an  initiative  that  promotes  transparency, 
access to public information and accountability, linked to open government policies, and is 
part  of  the  Government  Data  Openness  Plan.  It  offers  information  to  citizens,  scientists, 
entrepreneurs,  government  officials,  journalists,  and  computer  scientists.  It  contains 
information  on  what  STI  projects  are  being  developed,  who  is  carrying  them  out,  what 
equipment  they  are  working  with,  in  which  institutions  they  are  being  developed,  what 
scientific  data  are  available  and  what  are  the  outcomes  of  these  activities.  This  portal  is 
supplied  with  information  from  research  funding  agencies,  institutional  repositories, 
research data repositories, content aggregators, and Curriculum Vitae (CVar) data.  

The  CVar97  is  the  unified  and  standardised  national  register  of  the  curricular  data  of  the 
scientific  and  technological  personnel  of  Argentine  institutions.  Its  objective  is  to  facilitate 
the  management,  organisation  and  maintenance  of  curricular  information  that  provides 
research  personnel  with  access  to  Argentine  public  research  calls.  CVar  has  the  My 
Printed  CV98  application  for  managing  printed  versions  of  CVs  registered  in  CVar  for 
individuals and institutions. 

96 See http://www.sicytar.mincyt.gob.ar/  
97 See http://cvar.sicytar.mincyt.gob.ar/  
98 See https://sicytar.mincyt.gob.ar/micvimpreso/  

37 

 
 
 
 
 
  4. Brazil 

1.17% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

4.  BRAZIL 

3.99% 
Research 
staff/EAP in 
(0/00)* 

131 
Institutional 
repositories 

1,642 
Open access 
journals  

National OA 
policy 

National repository 
aggregator 

OA legal 
framework  

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Source: See Open Access to Brazilian Research Data Manifesto for Citizen Science. 
Data: Compiled by author based on RICyT, LA Referencia, OpenDOAR and DOAJ. 
Note: For R&D expenditure data referring to 2020 and for Research staff 2018. No. of researchers per thousand of labour 
force (0/00). 

Brazil has no legal framework specifically 
established to regulate the operation of 
the STI system. The Ministry of Science, 
Technology and Innovation (MCTI) is the 
central body of the federal system, in which 
state-level bodies also play a major role. 

Brazil does not have a formally 
established national open access 
policy. However, there are key actors at 
the STI system governance level that 
develop and maintain important support 
initiatives. 

3. 

ARGENTINA 

The  Brazilian  Institute  for  Science  and  Technology  Information  (IBICT)  is  the  governmental  body 
leading  the  open  access  policy  agenda  and  the  definition  of  open  science  in  Brazil.  It  provides 
scientific  information  management  services  to  institutional  repositories  and  open  access  journals. 
The  main  funding  bodies,  Fapesp,  CAPES  and  CNPq,  have  mandates  that  require  open  access 
through repositories to all scientific outputs wholly or partially funded by them. 

the  Brazilian  Open 
Oasisbr, 
for  Scientific 
Access  Portal 
Information, 
the  national 
is 
aggregator  of  open  access 
resources. 
is  managed  by 
IBCT. It harvests scientific output 
and  open  access  research  data 
published  in  scientific  journals, 
digital repositories, and libraries. 

It 

Rede  Cariniana  is  a  network  for 
research  data  digital  preservation 
services.  It  is  managed  by  IBCT.  It 
contains all the Brazilian journals of 
the  SEER  platform  and  of 
the 
SciELO  Network,  the  Open  Book 
Portal e-books, and the theses and 
dissertations of the Brazilian Digital 
and 
of 
Library 
Dissertations. 

Theses 

38 

CV  Lattes 
the  national 
is 
curriculum  management  system 
created  and  maintained  by  the 
CNPq. It is the national standard 
for 
the  careers  of 
students  and  researchers  used 
by  most  R&D  funding  agencies, 
research 
universities, 
centres.  

recording 

and 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Institutional framework 

Brazil is a federal republic of 26 member states, a Federal District and 5,568 municipalities. 
The states have a wide level of management and governance autonomy. This explains the 
composition of its R&D&I system. 

Governance  

In  Brazil,  there  is  neither  a  national  science  law  nor  a  comprehensive  legal  framework 
specifically  established  to  regulate  the  operation  of  the  whole  multi-level  science, 
technology and innovation system.  

The  Ministry  of  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (MCTI)99  was  created  in  1985  as 
the  main  governing  body  of  Brazil's  federal  science  and  technology  system.  Its  current 
structure is defined in Law no. 14.074 of 14 October 2020100. It is responsible for designing 
STI  policies  and  coordinating  relevant  sectoral  policies101.  It  is  also  responsible  for  the 
planning,  coordination,  supervision  and  control  of  STI  activities,  and  its  coordination  with 
STI  policy  making  at  the  states,  the  federal  district  and  the  municipalities  level,  with  the 
society and with other federal government bodies. 

The  MCTI  is  structured  in  4  operational  units:  the  Department  of  Scientific  Research  and 
Education (SEPEF)102, the Department of Financial Structures and Projects (SEFIP)103, the 
Department  for  the  Coordination  and  Promotion  of  Science104,  and  the  Department  of 
Entrepreneurship  and  Innovation105.  In  addition  to  these  four  operational  units,  the  MCTI 
has four internal advisory bodies: the National Council for Informatics and Automation, the 
National Council for the Control of Animal  Experimentation (CONCEA), the Committee for 
the  Coordination  of  Meteorology,  Climatology  and  Hydrology  Activities,  the  National 
Technical  Commission  for  Biosecurity  (CTNBio)  and  the  National  Council  for  Science 
and  Technology  (CCT)106.  The  CCT  was  created  by  Law  no.  9.257  of  1996  and 
reactivated  by  Decree  in  2019.  It  is  the  highest  advisory  body  to  the  President  of  the 
Republic  for  the  formulation  and  implementation  of  national  scientific  and  technological 
development policy.  

Because  of  the  decentralisation  of  STI  competences  in  favour  of  the  federal  states, 
territorial  coordination  agencies  are  necessary.  The  Conselho  Nacional  de  Secretários 
Estaduais  para  Assuntos  de  Ciência,  Tecnologia  e  Inovação  (Consecti)  107  brings 
together all the STI State Secretariats in the country, i.e., the public STI decision-makers in 
the 26 federal states and the Federal District, to coordinate their actions.  

99 See https://www.gov.br/mcti/pt-br  
100 See https://www.in.gov.br/en/web/dou/-/lei-n-14.074-de-14-de-outubro-de-2020-282699172  
101 Information technology and automation, biosecurity, space, nuclear and the export sector for sensitive goods 
and services. 
102 See https://www.gov.br/mcti/pt-br/acesso-a-informacao/institucional/composicao/secretaria-de-articulacao-e-
promocao-da-ciencia  
103 See https://www.gov.br/mcti/pt-br/acesso-a-informacao/institucional/composicao/secretaria-de-estruturas-
financeiras-e-de-projetos  
104 See https://www.gov.br/mcti/pt-br/acesso-a-informacao/institucional/composicao/secretaria-de-articulacao-e-
promocao-da-ciencia  
105 See https://www.gov.br/mcti/pt-br/acesso-a-informacao/institucional/composicao/secretaria-de-
empreendedorismo-e-inovacao  
106 See http://www.mctic.gov.br/mctic/opencms/institucional/entidadesVinculadas/cct/index.html  
107 See https://www.consecti.org.br/  

39 

 
 
Every  four  years,  Brazil  publishes  a  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation 
Strategy. It is currently in force the Strategy for 2016-2022108. This document sets out the 
guidelines on which the national STI policy is based. It includes a detailed description of the 
national R&D&I system, public policies’ advancements, strategic challenges for the coming 
years,  and  a  description  of  the  STI  key  areas  for  the  national  economy:  aerospace  and 
defence;  water; food;  biomes  and  bioeconomy; social  sciences  and  technologies; climate; 
digital  economy  and  society;  energy;  strategic  minerals;  nuclear;  health;  converging  and 
enabling technologies. 

Research Funding  

Brazil has many research funding bodies. Research is financed not only at federal level but 
also at the states’ level.  

At  federal  level,  the  MCTI  manages  the  National  Fund  for  Science  and  Technology 
(FNDCT) and two of the main funding agencies of the STI system: the Projects and Studies 
Funding  Agency  (Finep)  and  the  National  Council  for  Scientific  and  Technological 
Development (CNPq). 

The National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT)109, created 
in  1969,  is  an  accounting  and  financial  fund  that  aims  to  finance  innovation  and  scientific 
and  technological  development.  The  FNDCT  has  no  staff  or  physical  structure  of  its  own. 
Finep  acts  as  the  executive  department  of  the  FNDCT  and  is  responsible  for  all  its 
administrative, budgetary, financial and accounting activities. 

The Projects and Studies  Funding Agency (Finep)110 is tasked with transforming Brazil 
through innovation, by promoting its economic and social development through funding for 
science, technology and innovation in companies, universities, technological institutes and 
other public or private institutions. It operates throughout the innovation chain and finances: 
(1)  science  and  technology  infrastructures;  (2)  scientific  research  projects;  (3)  research 
grants;  (4)  actions  to  promote  innovative  entrepreneurship;  (5)  societally  relevant 
challenges; (6) ICT-business cooperation; (7) development of new products and processes; 
(8)  innovation  strategies  and  procurement  of  services;  and  (9)  procurement  of  products 
from  innovative  companies.  Funding  calls  are  financed  through  investments,  grants  and 
loans  channelled  through  different  financial  instruments:  reimbursable  finance,  non-
reimbursable finance, financial grants, business grants, capital investment funds and capital 
contributions.  These  financial  instruments  can  be  managed  directly  by  Finep  or  managed 
on  a  decentralised  basis  through  accredited  financial  agents  and  state  and  regional 
partners. 

The  National  Council  for  Scientific  and  Technological  Development  (CNPq)111  is  a 
public  foundation  linked  to  the  MCTI,  created  in  1951,  which  plays  a  key  role  in  the 
formulation  and  strategy  of  science,  technology  and  innovation  public  policies.  Its  main 
objective  is  to  finance  STI  research  activities  and  to  promote  the  training  of  research 
personnel  in  all  areas  of  knowledge.  The  CNPq  is  responsible  for:  (1)  the  collection, 
analysis, storage, dissemination and exchange of data and information on the development 
of  science  and  technology;  (2)  proposing  and  implementing  rules  and  instruments  to 

108 See http://www.finep.gov.br/images/a-
finep/Politica/16_03_2018_Estrategia_Nacional_de_Ciencia_Tecnologia_e_Inovacao_2016_2022.pdf  
109 See http://www.finep.gov.br/a-finep-externo/fndct/fndct  
110 See http://www.finep.gov.br/ 
111 See https://www.gov.br/cnpq/pt-br  

40 

 
 
support  and  encourage  research  and  development  activities  and  the  dissemination  and 
absorption  of  scientific  and  technological  knowledge;  (3)  promoting  the  implementation  of 
agreements,  protocols,  conventions,  programmes  and  projects  for  the  exchange  and 
transfer  of  technology  between  public  and  private,  national  and  international  entities;  (4) 
supporting,  promoting  and  participating  in  scientific  and  technological  meetings;  (5) 
promoting  and  conducting  studies  on  scientific  and  technological  development;  (6) 
providing technical assistance services in its area of expertise; (7) providing assistance in 
purchasing  and  importing  equipment  and  inputs  for  use  in  scientific  and  technological 
research; and (8) accrediting institutions to import equipment and inputs for use in scientific 
and technological research; All these actions are essential for national development and for 
the  recognition  of  Brazilian  research  institutions  and  researchers  by  the  international 
scientific community. 

In addition to these bodies, the Senior Staff Development Coordination Body (Capes)112 
is  a  Foundation  of  the  Ministry  of  Education  (MEC)  whose  mission  is  to  strengthen  R&D 
human  resources  through  master's  and  doctoral  studies  funding  in  Brazil,  investments  in 
senior  personnel’s  training,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  and  international  scientific 
cooperation promotion. To this end, it manages scholarships in all areas of knowledge, but 
especially in those considered priorities for the country.  

At  federal  level,  individual  states  have  funding  agencies  called  Research  Support 
Foundations (FAPs). The oldest and most important one is the São Paulo State Research 
Support  Foundation  (Fapesp)113,  created  in  1960,  which  manages  scholarships  and 
research  grants.  In  the  1990s,  Brazilian  states  replicated  the  Fapesp  model  and  regional 
STI  systems  expanded.  The  National  Council  of  State  Foundations  for  the  Protection 
of  Research  (CONFAP)114  is  a  non-profit  organisation,  created  in  2006,  that  brings 
together  27  research  support  foundations  (FAPs)  from  the  Brazilian  states.  It  aims  to 
promote  better  coordination  of  their  interests,  to  increase  the  autonomy  of  these  state 
funding bodies and to ensure the regularity and effective financial performing of the budget 
allocations  of  the  FAPs.  CONFAP  works  to  build  regular  alliances  between  the  FAPs  and 
national  and  international  organisations  promoting  and  encouraging  the  development  of 
R&D&I, as well as partnerships with the business sector. 

Research Performing  

The  organisations  that  carry  out  research  activity  in  Brazil  are  the  universities,  the  MCTI 
research institutes, the Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology (IFE) and 
the  state  institutes  of  science,  technology  and  innovation.  The  university  sector  is 
responsible  for  most  of  the  research  carried  out  in  the  country.  There  are  66  federal 
universities  and  43  state  universities.  In  addition,  there  is  a  large  population  of  public 
research  centres.  First,  there  are  20  research  institutes  under  the  MCTI115  whose 

112 See https://www.gov.br/capes/pt-br  
113 See https://www.fapesp.br  
114 See https://confap.org.br/  
115 These are: the National Institute of Water, the National Institute of the Atlantic Forest, the National 
Institute of Research of the Pantanal, the National Institute of the Semiarid, the National Institute of Space 
Research, the National Institute of Research of the Amazon, the National Institute of Technology, the 
Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology, the Centre for Strategic Technologies of the 
Northeast, the Renato Archer Information Technology Centre, the Centre for Mineral Technology, the 
Brazilian Centre for Physical Research, the National Centre for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alerts, the 
National Laboratory of Scientific Computing, the National Laboratory of Astrophysics, the Emílio Goeldi 
Museum of Pará, the Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences, the National Observatory, the 
Commission for the Coordination of Meteorology, Climatology and Hydrology Activities, and the National 
Biosafety Technical Commission. 

41 

 
 
research  is  focused  on  specific  sectoral  areas.  Then,  there  are  38  federal  institutes  of 
education, science and technology (IFE)116, created by law117 in 2008.  

Research Assessment 

In Brazil, there are no common research assessment practices, nor a standardised pathway 
for access to and remaining in the research career.  

Since  1998,  the  Senior  Staff  Development  Coordination  Body  (Capes)  has  managed 
regular  calls  for  evaluation  of  the  National  Postgraduate  System.  This  evaluation  ensures 
the  quality  of  Master's  and  doctoral  courses  in  the  country.  This  helps  to  identify  regional 
asymmetries  and  strategic  areas  of  knowledge,  to  guide  the  creation  and  expansion  of 
postgraduate  programmes  in  the  national  territory  and  contributes  to  quality  postgraduate 
education  for  teachers  at  all  levels  of  education  as  well  as  for  qualified  human  resources 
outside  the  academic  environment.  However,  neither  researchers’  scientific  performance 
assessment nor rewards and incentives setting are included among its functions.  

  Open access policy and legal framework 

Brazil  does  not  have  a  national  open  access  policy  at  federal  level,  although  there  have 
been significant legal initiatives and there are important institutional initiatives that deserve 
to be highlighted. 

In  2007  and  2011  there  were  attempts  to  pass  laws  regulating  open  access  to  scientific 
content, but despite the support shown by public science and technology bodies, they did 
not  successfully  complete  the  necessary  procedures  for  approval.  Despite  this,  the 
country's  most  important  funding  bodies  Fapesp,  CAPES  and  CNPq  have  specific 
mandates  that  require  self-archive  in  an  open  access  repository  to  all  research  outputs 
wholly  or  partially  funded  by  these  institutions  (Cabrera  Peña  2015,  Babini  and  Rovelli 
2020).  

This commitment of public entities to the governance of the STI system has been endorsed 
in  the  Fifth  Open  Governance  National  Action  Plan  of  Brazil  (2021-2023)118  published 
by  the  Brazilian  government,  which  includes  among  its  12  commitments:  building  a 
proposal for a research assessment model to promote open science as an alternative to the 
models  applied  in  Brazil,  based  on  international  experiences  adapted  to  the  Brazilian 

116 These are: the Federal Institute of Acre, the Federal Institute of Alagoas, the Federal Institute of Amapá, the 
Federal Institute of Amazonas, the Federal Institute of Bahia, the Baiano Federal Institute, the Federal Institute of 
Brasília, the Federal Institute of Ceará, the Federal Institute of Espírito Santo, the Federal Institute of Goiás, the 
Goiano Federal Institute, the Federal Institute of Maranhão, the Federal Institute of Minas Gerais, the Federal 
Institute of North Minas Gerais, the Federal Institute of Southeast Minas Gerais, the Federal Institute of South 
Minas Gerais, the Federal Institute of the Mining Triangle, the Federal Institute of Mato Grosso, the Federal 
Institute of Mato Grosso do Sul, the Federal Institute of Pará, the Federal Institute of Paraíba, the Federal Institute 
of Pernambuco, the Federal Institute of the Pernambuco Sertão, the Federal Institute of Piauí, the Federal 
Institute of Paraná, the Federal Institute of Rio de Janeiro, the Fluminense Federal Institute, the Federal Institute 
of Rio Grande do Norte, the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, the Farroupilha Federal Institute, the Sul-rio-
grandense Federal Institute, the Rondônia Federal Institute, the Roraima Federal Institute, the Santa Catarina 
Federal Institute, the Catarinense Federal Institute, the São Paulo Federal Institute, the Federal Institute of 
Sergipe, and the Federal Institute of Tocantins. 
117 See http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_Ato2007-2010/2008/Lei/L11892.htm  
118 See https://observatorioplanificacion.cepal.org/es/planes/quinto-plano-nacional-de-acao-do-governo-aberto-do-
brasil-2021-2023  

42 

 
 
 
context. The public problems that this 8th commitment aims to address are the existence of 
barriers  to  the  implementation  of  research  assessment  guidelines  and  metrics  to  foster 
open  science  practices  implemented  by  the  funding  agencies  CNPq,  CAPES,  FINEP  and 
the  FAPs,  the  lack  of  metrics  that  favour  open  science  practices  and  the  limited 
interoperability  of  scientific  platforms  related  to  scientific  activity.  To  address  these 
problems, in 2021-23 Brazil will define alternative metrics for research assessment, design 
guidelines  for  the  allocation  of  R&D  public  funding,  work  in  awareness  raising  about  the 
benefits  of  open  science  among  the  academic  community  and  create  a  Brazilian  science 
observatory. 

The  institution  responsible  for  these  actions  is  the  Brazilian  Institute  of  Science  and 
Technology  Information  (IBICT)119.  The  IBICT  is  a  government  institution,  under  the 
MCTI, which leads the agenda of open access policies and the definition of open science in 
Brazil.  It  works  on  the  development  of  information  products  and  services  for  Brazilian 
research community and research performing institutions. Its services comprise training for 
research  in  information  sciences,  the  creation  of  digital  libraries,  automatic  harvesting  of 
scientific records, dissemination of theses and dissertations, technical and editorial support 
for electronic open access academic journals, and support for the creation of open access 
institutional  repositories.  These  products  and  services  make  Brazil  the  fifth  country  in  the 
world in terms of the number of digital repositories and the third in terms of the number of 
open access periodicals. 

With  respect  to  research  data,  in  the  4th  Open  Governance  National  Action  Plan  of 
Brazil120,  commitment  3  refers  to  establishing  governance  mechanisms  for  scientific  data 
for the advancement of open science in Brazil. The commitment seeks to promote progress 
in  the  processes  related  to  making  research  data  openly  available  to  the  scientific 
community by improving governance instruments. The commitment is officially coordinated 
by Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa)121, with the collaboration of a 
network  of  governmental  and  civil  society  institutions  including  MCTIC,  IBICT,  Capes, 
CNPq,  Fundação  Oswaldo  Cruz  (Fiocruz)122,  University  of  Brasília  (UnB)123,  Open 
Knowledge Foundation (OKBR)124, Brazilian Association of Scientific Editors (ABEC)125 and 
National Network of Education and Research (RNP)126.  

Furthermore, funding agencies are starting to include a requirement for the development of 
data  management  plans  to  grantees.  The  federal  research  agency  of  the  State  of  São 
Paulo (Fapesp) has included this obligation in its calls for thematic projects since 2018 and 
promotes  a  data  management  network  involving  the  state's  seven  public  universities. 
Similarly, research data management, including the use of repositories, is becoming part of 
the research policies of universities and research institutions (Babini and Rovelli 2020). 

119 See https://www.gov.br/ibict/pt-br  
120 See https://www.gov.br/cgu/pt-br/governo-aberto/a-ogp/planos-de-acao/4o-plano-de-acao-brasileiro/4-plano-
acao-nacional-espanhol-atualizado2020.pdf  
121 See https://www.embrapa.br/  
122 See https://portal.fiocruz.br/es  
123 See https://www.unb.br/  
124 See https://ok.org.br/  
125 See https://www.abecbrasil.org.br/  
126 See https://www.rnp.br/  

43 

 
 
 
 
  Open access digital platforms 

Repositories  

IBICT  promotes  the  creation  of  institutional  repositories  in  Brazilian  universities  and 
research  institutes,  disseminates  the  use  of  open  source  software  and  contributes  with 
training for the creation and management of institutional repositories. In Brazil there are 113 
institutional  repositories  of  scientific  publications,  11  research  data  repositories  and  1 
national  repository,  Deposita127,  created  by  the  IBCT  for  gathering  and  disseminating  the 
scientific  output  of  those  institutions  that  do  not  yet  have  their  own  repository.  These 
resources are aggregated in the Brazilian Open Access Portal for Scientific Information 
Oasisbr  128,  the  national  aggregator  of  open  access  resources  managed  by  IBCT  with 
financial support from Finep. Oasisbr harvests open access scientific output and research 
data  published  in  academic  journals,  digital  repositories  of  scientific  publications,  digital 
repositories  of  research  data  and  digital  libraries  of  theses  and  dissertations,  preprint 
servers, scientific book portals and digital monograph libraries. Oasisbr represents Brazil in 
LA  Referencia.  Oasisbr  uses  a  single  interface  to  provide  access  to  more  than  4  million 
research  outputs:  scientific  articles,  books,  book  chapters,  conference  papers,  research 
datasets,  preprints,  dissertations,  theses,  graduate  monographs,  etc.  It  also  provides 
access  to  the scientific  content  held  in  the Portuguese Open  Access  Scientific  Repository 
(RCAAP). Oasisbr works to bring together, give visibility and provide with open access to a 
large  part  of  the  scientific  content  produced  by  researchers  working  in  Brazilian  and 
Portuguese institutions. 

One of the resources harvested by Oasisbr is the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and 
Dissertations  (BDTD)129,  a  digital  resource  developed  by  IBICT  in  2002  that  holds  the 
existing thesis and dissertation information systems of 130 Brazilian teaching and research 
institutions  and  encourages  the  registration  and  publication  of  theses  and  dissertations 
produced in the country and abroad on electronic media, giving greater visibility to national 
scientific  output.  As  of  the  date  of  this  report,  it  has  more  than  200,000  theses  and  more 
than 560,000 dissertations.  

Regarding research data management, in 2019 IBICT and CNPq launched  Lattes Data130 
the  national  research  data  repository  created  to  collect,  store  and  disseminate  scientific 
datasets  generated  in  CNPq-funded  projects,  enabling  sharing  and  reuse  by  the  scientific 
community,  the  storage  of  research  data  and  long-term  accessibility  to  the  data.  In  the 
future,  the  repository  will  also  be  available  for  the  submission  of  research  data  from 
researchers not funded by CNPq, through agreements signed with other institutions under 
the National Consortium for Open Science (CoNCienciA)131. 

In  addition,  in  2012,  IBICT  created  the  Cariniana  Network132  a  network  of  digital  storage 
services  for  research  data.  It  is  a  decentralised  infrastructure  that  uses  distributed 
computing  resources  and  requires  the  participation  of  the  custodian  institutions  and  their 
infrastructure to ensure permanent access and monitored storage of digital documents. At 
its  inception,  the  initiative  received  funding  from  Finep  and  joined  Stanford  University's 

127 See https://www.deposita.ibict.br/  
128 See https://oasisbr.ibict.br/vufind/  
129 See https://bdtd.ibict.br/vufind/  
130 See https://lattesdata.cnpq.br/  
131 See https://www.gov.br/ibict/pt-br/central-de-conteudos/noticias/2022/marco-2022/consorcio-nacional-para-
ciencia-aberta-conciencia-sera-lancado-no-dia-22  
132 See http://cariniana.ibict.br/  

44 

 
 
LOCKSS Programme. This also enabled the content of the international publications of the 
institutions  involved  in  the  initiative  to  be  preserved  and  its  services  to  be  extended  to 
include  the  storage  of  institutional  e-journals  using  OJS,  the  storage  of  institutional 
repositories in DSpace software and the storage of research data repositories in Dataverse. 
Since  then,  the  Cariniana  Network  has  emerged  as  one  of  the  main  references  for  digital 
preservation  in  Brazil.  Cariniana  maintains  the  research  group  Studies  and  Practices  in 
Digital  Storage,  Dríade,  recognised  in  the  CNPq's  Directory  of  Research  Groups,  and 
recommends  and  disseminates  software  tools  that  are  being  implemented  internationally, 
testing  best  practices  for  their  management  and  control  of  functional  requirements  that 
facilitate the adoption of distributed digital preservation systems in Brazil. 

At  the  date  of  this  report,  there are 13  partner  institutions  in  the  Cariniana  Network which 
serves 150 institutions with open access publications, such as the SciELO Network.  

Academic Journals  

In  Brazil  there  is  remarkable  public  support  for  the  publication  of  national  academic 
journals.  Brazilian  academic  journals  have  mainly  been  publicly  funded,  either  through 
direct subsidies or through the support of digital infrastructures and editorial work provided 
by public universities and research institutes. (Ramírez and Samoilovich, 2021). 

Among  the  Brazilian  initiatives  aimed  at  fostering  academic  publishing,  the  Scientific 
Electronic  Library  Online,  SciELO133  is  the  most  noteworthy.  Launched  in  1997  as  a 
research project funded by Fapesp, its initial objective was to create a metadata aggregator 
and  complete  texts  from  academic  journals  that  met  minimum  quality  standards.  Today, 
SciELO has expanded its activity to 15 further countries and has become a service platform 
for academic journals and publishers to publish directly on it, without requiring the parallel 
development  of  digital  publishing  infrastructures.  This  service  is  complementary  to  the 
quality  certification  and  indexing  services  and  gives  SciELO  the  character  of  a  large 
publisher, which leads to significant cost savings in the publication of open access journals. 
(Ramírez and Samoilovich, 2021). 

In  addition,  IBCT  manages  several  support  services  for  national  scientific  academic 
journals.  First,  the  Directory  of  Editorial  Policies  of  Brazilian  Scientific  Journals 
(Diadorim), a service that aims to identify, systematise, and make available the information 
on those editorial policies established by Brazilian publishers regarding right retention and 
permissions  for  self-archiving  in  institutional  repositories.  It  is  an  important  source  of 
information for authors to select a scientific journal that meets their specific needs and thus 
avoid  possible  publication  agreement’s  breaching.  Secondly,  the  Electronic  Journal 
Publication  System  (SEER),  launched  in  2003,  through  which  IBICT  provides  publishing 
services to research performing institutions using Open Journal Systems (OJS) software.  

The importance of these actions is reflected in the position reached by Brazil in DOAJ, the 
main global directory that registers open access journals, where the country ranks third in 
the  world  among  those  with  the  highest  number  of  open  access  scientific  academic 
journals. Brazilian academic journals also have a significant presence in Latindex, with 291 
academic  journals  in  catalogue  2.0,  in  SciELO  Brazil,  with  316  indexed  titles  and  in 
Redalyc, with a total of 332 academic journals.  

133 See https://scielo.org/es/  

45 

 
 
 
Table 4. Number of Brazilian journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO Brazil 

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No. of journals 

291 

316 

332 

1,642 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. Access date: 
December 2022. 

Curriculum management systems 

The  CNPq  manages  the  Lattes  platform  which  brings  together  in  a  single  information 
system the databases of (1) curricula, (2) research groups, and (3) institutions. Its coverage 
is  not  limited  to  the  scope  of  CNPq  but  also  covers  other  federal  and  state  funding 
agencies, state science and technology support foundations, higher education institutions, 
and research institutes.  

CV Lattes134 is the national curriculum management system. It is the standard for recording 
the careers of students and researchers used by most of the country's funding institutions, 
universities  and  research  institutes.  It´s  notorious  for  being  a  comprehensive  and  reliable 
information platform. Its use has become mandatory for applicants of R&D funding calls. It 
is a strategic digital infrastructure, not only for planning and management activities, but also 
for MCTI and other government agencies policy formulation. 

The  Directory  of  Research  Groups  contains  information  on  active  research  groups, 
researchers,  lines  of  research,  sectors  involved,  knowledge  specialisation,  scientific  and 
technological outputs, and interactions with the productive sector. The individual information 
of the group participants is extracted from their Lattes CVs. 

The Directory of Institutions is designed to promote the organisations of the National STI 
System to the status of users of the Lattes Platform. It registers every organisation or entity 
related  to  CNPq.  Data  public  availability  provides  CNPq's  activities  with  transparency  and 
reliability,  strengthens  communication  channels  between  researchers  and  institutions,  and 
is a source of information for further studies and research. As its information is cumulative, 
it also plays an important role in preserving the memory of research activity in the country. 

134 See https://lattes.cnpq.br/  

46 

 
 
 
 
 
  5. Chile 

5.  CHILE 

0.34% 
Gasto de 
I+D/PIB* 

1.85% 
Personal 
investigador/PEA 
en (0/00)* 

21 
Repositorios 
institucionales 

150 
Revistas de 
acceso abierto  

National OA 
policy

National repository 
aggregator

OA legal 
framework 

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Source: See ANID's Open Access Policy for Scientific Information and Publicly Funded Research Data. 
Data: Compiled by author based on RICyT, LA Referencia, OpenDOAR and DOAJ. 
Note: Data referring to 2020. No. of researchers per thousand of labour force (0/00). 

The national STI system in Chile is 
regulated by Law 21.105, enacted in 2018. 
It abolishes CONICYT and creates the 
Ministry of Science, Technology, 
Knowledge and Innovation and the National 
Agency for Research and Development 
(ANID) to succeed it. 

Since 2022, Chile has a national open 
access policy that requires the deposit 
in open access of ANID-funded 
publications and data in institutional 
repositories. It also allows for gold 
publishing venues journals of the 
SciELO network. 

3. 

ARGENTINA 

ANID is responsible for the design, implementation and evaluation of the Chilean open access policy. 
The latter is a component  of  the National Infrastructure for Access to Scientific Information (INA); a 
national ecosystem of scientific information that has different services, instruments and mechanisms 
of  collaboration  and  public-private  articulation  between  ANID,  the  CINCEL  Corporation  and  public 
and  private  universities.  The  INA  includes  the  ANID  Scientific  Production  Repository,  the  National 
Center  of  the  ISSN  Network,  the  SciELO-Chile  journal  collection,  the  Researcher's  Portal  and 
Dataciencia. 

preserves, 

The  ANID  institutional  repository 
hosts, 
promotes 
access  and  the  visibility  of  the 
research  outputs  generated 
in 
projects  and  grants  awarded  by 
the Agency.  

ANID  is  the  coordinating  body  of 
the ISSN National Centre.  

ANID  also  manages  the  SciELO 
Chile collection.  

47 

the 

profiles 

The  Researcher  Portal 
is  a 
platform  developed  by  ANID  to 
of 
manage 
researchers  and  their  scientific 
production.  This  system  enables 
national 
ANID 
scientific  output 
financed  with 
public funds. 

to  monitor 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Institutional framework 

Governance  

Governance of the national STI system in Chile is regulated by  Law 21.105135, enacted in 
2018. This legal framework defines the composition and functions of the different agents of 
the  Chilean  R&D&I  system,  as  well  as  the  instruments  on  which  government  action 
promoting is based. The main novelty is that it repeals the former National Commission for 
Scientific  and  Technological  Research  (CONICYT)  and  creates  the  Ministry  of  Science, 
Technology,  Knowledge  and  Innovation  and  the  National  Agency  for  Research  and 
Development, which will become, for all intents and purposes, the successor entities. It also 
creates  two  new  bodies  -  the  National  Council  for  Science,  Technology,  Knowledge  and 
Innovation  for  Development  and  the  Interministerial  Committee  for  Science,  Technology, 
Knowledge  and  Innovation  -  and  three  essential  instruments  -  the  National  Strategy  for 
Science,  Technology,  Knowledge  and  Innovation  for  Development,  the  National  Policy  for 
Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation and its Action Plan.  

The Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (MinCiencia)136 is the 
highest body responsible for promoting the development of science, technology, knowledge 
and  science  and  innovation  through  the  design,  formulation,  coordination,  implementation 
and  evaluation  of  STI  policies,  plans  and  programmes.  It  is  also  the  body  responsible  for 
coordinating  the  operation  of  all  the  agents  comprising  the  National  Science,  Technology, 
Knowledge and Innovation System, at sectoral and geographical levels. For coordination at 
territorial  level,  the  Ministry  of  Science  has  Regional  Ministerial  Departments  (SEREMI) 
which oversee the coordinated implementation of STI policy at regional level throughout the 
country.  The  SEREMIs  are  grouped  into  5  macro-zones:  North,  Central,  South  Central, 
South and Southern137. Each is headed by a Regional Ministerial Secretary who represents 
the Ministry in one or more regions. 

Within  the  MinCiencia,  the  Law  creates  the  National  Council  of  Science,  Technology, 
Knowledge  and  Innovation  for  Development  (Consejo  Nacional  CTCI)138  as  an 
autonomous  body  whose  legal  mandate  is  to  directly  advise  the  President  in  the 
prospective  analysis  of  national  and  international  development  trends,  to  formulate 
proposals to strengthen and develop the Chilean STI System and, above all, to develop the 
National Strategy for Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation for Development139.  

The  Interministerial  Committee  on  Science,  Technology,  Knowledge  and  Innovation 
is  a  body  for  coordination,  information,  orientation  and  agreement  on  STI  public  policies, 
made up of the heads of the Ministries of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, 
Finance, Economy, Development and Tourism and Education. As defined by the Law, it is 
the  body  responsible  for  the  development,  implementation  and  monitoring  of  the  National 
Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation Policy and its Action Plan. 

135 See https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=1121682  
136 See https://www.minciencia.gob.cl/el-ministerio/mision-y-vision/  
137 See https://ayuda.anid.cl/hc/es/articles/360048066052--Cu%C3%A1les-son-las-Macrozonas-del-Ministerio-de-
Ciencia-Tecnolog%C3%ADa-Conocimiento-e-Innovaci%C3%B3n-  
138 See https://www.consejoctci.cl/  
139 See https://docs.consejoctci.cl/documento/estrategia-nacional-de-ciencia-tecnologia-conocimiento-e-
innovacion-para-el-desarrollo-de-chile-2022/  

48 

 
 
The National Agency for Research and Development (ANID)140 is created as a body with 
legal personality and its own assets, which subrogates CONICYT. The agency is related to 
the  Presidency  of  the  Republic  through  the  MinCiencia  and  has  the  function  of  managing 
and  delivering  the  programmes  and  instruments  for  promoting,  fostering  and  developing 
research in all areas of knowledge, technological development and scientific-technological 
innovation, in accordance with the policies defined by the Ministry.   

On  the  design,  planning  and  evaluation  of  STI  policies,  Law  21.105  establishes  three 
hierarchically  related  mechanisms  with  different  time  frames:  (1)  a  National  Science, 
Technology, Knowledge and Innovation Strategy for Development; (2) a National Science, 
Technology, Knowledge and Innovation Policy; and (3) an Action Plan. 

is 

the 

the  document 

that  addresses 

The  National  Strategy  for  Science,  Technology,  Knowledge  and  Innovation  for 
Development141 
long-term  challenges  and 
opportunities  for  the  development  of  the  country  and  its  regions.  Its  raison  d'être  is  to 
generate a framework to guide public policies and their supporting instruments. It is drawn 
up by the CTCI National Council and approved by the President of the Republic. It contains 
a diagnosis of global trends and a prospective analysis of the opportunities and challenges 
for  the  integral,  inclusive  and  sustainable  development  of  Chile  in  the  global  scenario; 
proposals for the development of the country, at national and regional level, based on the 
promotion of science, technology and innovation; and specific objectives and indicators for 
monitoring  and  evaluating  the  performance  and  development  of  the  STI  system  in  the 
medium  and  long  term.  The  National  Strategy  2022,  published  in  May  this  year,  is 
currently in force.  

The  National  Science,  Technology,  Knowledge  and  Innovation  Policy142  is  the 
document  that  establishes  the  general  objectives  of  public  STI  policies  for  the  respective 
presidential  term.  It  provides  a  systemic  look  at  the  short  and  medium  term  and  its  goals 
and  lines  of  action  must  be  in  harmony  with  the  National  Strategy,  regional  development 
strategies  and  sectoral  strategic  challenges.  The  policy  is  put  forward  by  the  Minister  of 
Science,  Technology,  Knowledge  and  Innovation  to  the  President  of  the  Republic.  The 
National  Policy  2020-2022143  is  currently  in  force,  built  on  4  priorities:  linking  with  society, 
the future, strengthening the ecosystem and institutional capacities. 

The  Action  Plan  is  the  document  through  which  the  effective  implementation  of  the 
National Policy is put into practice. The Plan contains the specific action programmes, the 
public  bodies  responsible  for  their  implementation,  the  deadlines,  targets  and  evaluation 
indicators. The Plan also states how it will be implemented in each of the country's regions. 
As of the date of this report, the Action Plan 2020-2022144 is currently in force and contains 
118  initiatives,  of  which  69  are  continuity  initiatives,  18  include  modifications  or 
strengthening actions and 31 are new initiatives. 

140 See https://www.anid.cl  
141See https://www.consejoctci.cl/estrategiactci2022/  
142 See https://www.minciencia.gob.cl/politicactci/  
143 See https://www.minciencia.gob.cl/politicactci/documentos/Politica-Nacional-CTCi_Chile-2020.pdf  
144 See https://www.minciencia.gob.cl/politicactci/documentos/Politica-Nacional-
CTCI_Plan_Accion_Chile_2020.pdf  

49 

 
 
 
Research Funding  

The National Agency for Research and Development (ANID)145 is the government body 
responsible  for  managing  and  delivering  programmes  and  instruments  for  promoting, 
encouraging and developing research in all areas of knowledge, technological development 
and  scientific-technological  innovation,  in  accordance  with  the  policies  defined  by  the 
Ministry in the Strategy, Policy and Plan.  

that 

technological 

finance  scientific  or 

ANID  is  structured  in  five  sub-directorates,  each  of  which  manages  public  support  in  its 
area  of  competence.  (1)  The  human  capital  sub-directorate  manages  postgraduate 
scholarships  for  studies  in  Chile  and  abroad.  (2)  The  research  projects  sub-directorate 
manages  programmes 
research  projects, 
programmes  that  promote  new  researchers  and  post-doctoral  projects.  (3)  The  sub-
directorate of centres and associative research has a total of 14 grant programmes to fund 
groups  of  excellent  researchers,  non-profit  institutions  and  universities  in  partnership  with 
other actors in the ecosystem. (4) The sub-directorate for applied research and innovation 
finances pre-competitive research and development activities oriented towards innovation, 
science and technology-based entrepreneurship, public innovation challenges, recruitment 
of  advanced  human  capital  and  knowledge  transfer.  (5)  The  networks,  strategy  and 
knowledge  sub-directorate  designs,  executes  and  finances  the  different  instruments  that 
support  the  management  of  national  infrastructures  and  services  for  scientific  research, 
technological  development,  territorial  and  international  linkage  instruments,  institutional 
strengthening  and  the  development  of  natural  laboratories,  together  with  strengthening 
mechanisms, programs and instruments for access to knowledge. 

During  2021,  ANID  awarded  a  total  of  11,214  public  grants146.  The  funds  which  supply 
ANID147  as  a  funding  agency  come  from  the  annual  budget  of  the  Chilean  state  and  the 
National  Fund  for  Scientific  and  Technological  Development  (FONDECYT),  regulated 
by Law 21.105 and dependent on the Ministry of Science. 

Research Performing 

The  institutions  that  carry  out  scientific  and  technological  research  activities  in  Chile  are 
universities, public technological and research institutes, and private institutions. 

Regarding the university sector, the Ministry of Education148 provides a public register of 
officially recognised Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)149 with a total of 59 universities 
(in addition to 35 professional institutes and 50 technical training centres). The most notable 
are  the  Universidad  de  Chile  and  the  Pontificia  Universidad  Católica  de  Chile,  founded  in 
1842 and 1888 respectively. Of these 59 universities, only 18 are state universities. There 
is 1 university for each region, except for the metropolitan region which currently has 3 state 
universities).  In  addition,  30  universities  are  part  of  the  Council  of  Rectors  of  Chilean 
Universities  (CRUCH)  consisting  of  the  18  state  universities  and  12  private  universities 
that  are  called  "traditional  universities".  CRUCH  is  a  collegiate,  autonomous  body,  with 
legal  personality  under  public  law,  created  by  law  on  14  August  1954  to  coordinate  the 
country's university work and improve the performance and quality of university education. 
CRUCH member universities responsible for most of Chile's research. 

145 See https://www.anid.cl  
146 See https://www.anid.cl/blog/2022/06/24/anid-publica-actualizacion-de-su-compendio-estadistico/  
147 See http://www.dipres.gob.cl/597/w3-multipropertyvalues-25235-25771.html 
148 See https://www.mineduc.cl/  
149 See https://www.ayudamineduc.cl/ficha/instituciones-vigentes-reconocidas-por-el-mineduc  

50 

 
 
Regarding the Public Research and Technology Institutes sector, the National Policy 2020-
2022  includes  a  total  of  13,  all  devoted  to  sectoral  research  and  dependent  on  the 
corresponding  ministry.  These  are:  the  Natural  Resources  Information  Centre  (CIREN), 
under  the  Ministry  of  Economy;  the  Chilean  Nuclear Energy  Commission  (CChEN,,  under 
the  Ministry  of  Energy;  the  Chile  Foundation,  an  institution  with  state  and  private 
participation  (ITT  Corporation  and  BHP  Billiton);  the  Chilean  Antarctic  Institute  (INACH), 
under  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs;  the  Institute  for  the  Promotion  of  Fisheries  (IFOP), 
under the Ministry of Economy; the Agricultural Research Institute (INIA), under the Ministry 
of  Agriculture;  the  Forestry  Institute  (INFOR),  under  the  Ministry  of  Economy;  the  Military 
Geographical Institute (IGM), under the Ministry of Defence; the National Hydraulic Institute 
(INH),  under  the  Ministry  of Public  Works;  the  National  Institute  for Standardisation  (INN), 
under the Ministry of Economy; the Aero-photogrammetric Service of the Chilean Air Force 
(SAF), under the Ministry of Defence; the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the 
Chilean Navy (SHOA), under the Ministry of Defence; and the National Geology and Mining 
Service  (Sernageomi).  This  group  of  institutions  are  essential  within  the  STI  policy 
ecosystem and beneficiaries of research funding calls.  

Research Assessment 

The  Ministry  of  Education  encourages  the  accreditation  of  the  quality  of  Chilean 
universities.  This is  achieved  through  the  National  Accreditation  Commission  (CNA)150, 
an autonomous body created in 2006 by Law 21.091151, with its own legal personality and 
assets,  whose  function  is  to  evaluate,  accredit  and  promote  the  quality  of  universities, 
professional  institutes,  and  autonomous  technical  training  centres,  as  well  as  the  degree 
courses  and  programmes  they  offer.  As  of  the  date  of  this  study,  there  are  47  Chilean 
universities  accredited  by  the  CNA.  This  accreditation  is  not  required  for  the  provision  of 
regulated training and is not binding for the validity of qualifications. Its function is to enable 
institutions and their students to obtain public grants and scholarships.  

The CNA accredits postgraduate programmes in accordance with the provisions of the Law 
on  Quality  Assurance  in  Higher  Education  No.  20.129152,  which  establishes  the  need  for 
evaluation criteria  for master's,  doctoral  and  speciality  programmes.  The  process  involves 
19  Area  Committees  of  researchers  recognised  in  their  area  who  establish  guidelines  for 
the output expected of the research staff comprising the academic staff of the programmes 
to be evaluated. Scientific output can be oriented as individual or group work. 

Moreover,  ANID  has  its  own  committees  to  evaluate  the  output  of  applicants  for  public 
grants,  which  include  the  Evaluation  Groups153.  They  are  a  collegiate  body  of  expert 
researchers in the different scientific and technological areas whose function is to support 
the  processes  of  evaluation  and  selection  of  the  proposals  submitted  to  the  calls  for 
FONDECYT  research  projects  and  the  monitoring  and  control  of  the  projects  being 
implemented.  They  define  the  curricular  evaluation  criteria  by  subject  area  and  by  the 
nature  of  each  competition.  The  criteria  may  include  scientific  output,  contribution  or  link 
with society and the environment154.  

150 See https://www.cnachile.cl  
151 See https://www.cnachile.cl/Documentos%20de%20Paginas/LEY-20129_17-NOV-2006.pdf  
152 See https://www.cnachile.cl/Paginas/Acreditacion-Postgrado.aspx  
153 See https://s3.amazonaws.com/documentos.anid.cl/proyecto-
investigacion/2023/regular/postulacion/GuiaEvaluacionFondecyt.pdf 
154 Example: https://s3.amazonaws.com/documentos.anid.cl/proyecto-
investigacion/2023/regular/postulacion/Bases.pdf  

51 

 
 
 
  Open access policy  

Chile has a robust national policy of open access to scientific literature and publicly funded 
research data155. This policy was published in 2022 by ANID, the entity responsible for its 
design,  implementation,  and  the  research  assessment.  The  ANID  unit  responsible  for 
coordinating  the  necessary  mechanisms  to  ensure  compliance  with  this  policy,  guide 
researchers and facilitate the search and retrieval of open content is the Networks, Strategy 
and Knowledge Sub-Directorate (REC)156.  

The  Chilean  national  open  access  policy  establishes  that  all  beneficiaries  of  public  grants 
managed  by  ANID  must  deposit,  in  open  access  format,  a  machine-readable  electronic 
copy  of  the  final  version  of  their  scientific  production  in  ANID's  Scientific  Production 
Repository,  no  later  than  six  months  from  the  date  of  publication.  Authors  who  publish 
articles  in  SciELO-Chile  or  the  SciELO  network  are  exempt  from  the  requirement.  On 
research  data  management,  it  establishes  the  obligation  to  submit  a  research  data 
management plan, to ensure the public availability of research data. They must comply with 
FAIR  principles  and  must  be  deposited  in  ANID's  repository  or  in  institutional  and/or 
disciplinary  repositories.  In  case  of  non-compliance,  the  present  and  future  transfers  of 
funds from ANID to beneficiaries may be affected. The ultimate objectives of this policy are 
to  achieve  economies  of  scale,  to  strengthen  scientific  output,  to  increase  the  visibility, 
transparency  and  integrity  of  research  and  to  ensure  public  access  to  publicly  funded 
scientific information. 

For  the  development  of  this  policy,  ANID  carried  out  a  diagnosis  of  the  initial  situation, 
including  a  participatory  public  consultation,  the  results  of  which  were  published  in 
November  2020.  For  its  drafting,  ANID  relied  on  a  group  of  experts  who  proposed  a 
roadmap to address the challenges raised. The document. Open Research Data. Science 
is made by all of us157 published in 2014 by former CONICYT also played an important role 
in  its  drafting.  Besides,  the  drafting  of  the  policy  brought  together  previous  long-standing 
public initiatives  to strengthen  the  national  scientific information  ecosystem  under  a  single 
framework. This facilitated the adoption of the text. Those initiatives where the promotion of 
open  access  academic  journals  such  as  SciELO-Chile,  the  strengthening  of  institutional 
repositories, and the management of access to scientific resources through the Electronic 
Library of Scientific Information (BEIC).  

In  addition  to  the  national  policy,  a  representative  number  of  Chilean  universities  have 
institutional open access policies, most of them linked to the operation of their open access 
infrastructures. 

155 See 
https://s3.amazonaws.com/documentos.anid.cl/estudios/Politica_acceso_a_informacion_cientifica_2022.pdf  
156 See https://www.anid.cl/redes-estrategia-y-conocimiento/  
157 See http://datoscientificos.cl/files/manual-2014.pdf  

52 

 
 
 
 
 
  Open access digital platforms 

ANID  is  the  government  body  responsible  for  the  management  of  the  main  digital 
infrastructures  needed  to  implement  open  access  policies,  which  are  organized  and 
articulated  in  the  National  Infrastructure for Access  to  the  Scientific  Information  System 
(SIC)158,  whose  purpose  is  to  facilitate  access  to  national  and  international  scientific 
information: the ANID Scientific Production Repository, the National ISSN Network Centre, 
support  for  the  evaluation  of  journals  in  Latindex,  the  SciELO-Chile  network,  the 
Researcher's Portal, the Electronic Library of Scientific Information (BEIC) and Dataciencia.  

Academic Repositories   

Chile  has  a  population  of  21159  open  access  institutional  repositories  belonging  to 
universities,  technological  institutes,  and  public  institutions.  The  most  important  of  these 
repositories  is  the  ANID  Scientific  Production  Repository160,  created  to  host,  preserve, 
and disseminate all the scientific output funded by the Agency. The repository is organised 
in  communities  that  match  the  structure  of  the  Agency's  funding  programmes  and 
departments. At the date of this report, it has 103,594 documents in open access, including 
research projects funded by ANID, which can be consulted by scientific discipline, institution 
and Chilean regions. The Repository provides technological coverage for the open access 
mandate and the obligation of the grants recipients managed by ANID to deposit a copy of 
their research results. Researchers not using the ANID repository must inform ANID of the 
URLs  or  persistent  identifiers  of  documents  and  datasets  published  in  other  repositories. 
ANID's  institutional  repository  is  currently  the  national  node  representing  Chile  in  LA 
Referencia.  

In addition, ANID is generating instruments and services to ensure that institutions respond 
to the principles of open science and guarantee compliance with the demands of the ANID 
access  policy.  To  this  end,  in  2021  it  granted  12  universities  funding  through  the  InES 
(Innovation  in  Higher  Education)  instrument  for  a  period  of  two  years  to  strengthen  their 
institutional  capacities  in  open  science,  one  of  the  most  important  dimensions  being  the 
implementation  of 
international 
infrastructure 
interoperability  standards.  A  challenge  for  the  implementation  of  this  pillar  is  to  agree  on 
common practices, policies and quality standards to integrate scientific information, as well 
as  to  prepare  the  metadata  in  the  local  repositories  so  that  they  are  correctly  identified, 
harvested and validated to ensure its quality and retrieve. With the above, ANID is leading 
the  creation  of  a  national  access  node  through  a  content  aggregator  that  connects  all 
national production with LA Referencia. 

that  complies  with 

technological 

In April 2022, ANID and 14  universities created an ORCID-Chile consortium that seeks to 
extend  the  use  of  persistent  identifiers  in  the  digital  platforms  for  open  science.  The 
existence of ORCID-Chile provides the opportunity to establish an institutional space for the 
exchange  of  experiences  and  resources  aligned  with  the  ongoing  efforts  to  implement  an 
interoperable and robust national infrastructure for access to scientific information. 

158 See https://informacioncientifica.cl/  
159 Source: OpenDOAR 
160 See http://repositorio.conicyt.conicyt.cl  

53 

 
 
 
 
Journals  

National academic journals have been a fundamental objective of Chile's policies promoting 
access to scientific knowledge. 

ANID  is  the  body  that  coordinates  the  ISSN  Network  National  Centre,  the  only  agency 
responsible  for  assigning  ISSN  numbers  to  serial  publications  or  any  other  continuing 
resource  and/or  integrated  resource  published  in  Chile;  for  maintaining  and  updating  the 
local  ISSN  VIRTUA  database  and  monitoring  the  publications  to  which  ISSN  has  been 
assigned  to  measure compliance  with  the  regulations  and  thus  to  validate  the  registration 
definitively  in  the  database.  Other  functions  include  disseminating  and  promoting  the 
system and liaising with the publishing communities in the country. In doing so, they provide 
indexing  and 
essential  support 
interoperability potential.  

to  national  academic 

terms  of 

journals 

their 

in 

Furthermore,  since  1988,  ANID  has  a  call  for  proposals  entitled  Scientific  Academic 
Journals  Publication  Fund  Competition,  specifically  aimed  at 
the 
professionalisation  and  overall  quality  of  academic  journals  and/or  national  scientific 
publications  indexed  in  the  Web  of  Science,  SCOPUS  and  SciELO  Chile,  through  the 
improvement of the electronic version of the academic journals. 

improving 

ANID provides a support service to publishers of Chilean academic journals to be evaluated 
on the Latindex platform and has been the national node of SciELO Chile161 since 1998, 
an initiative to which it gives considerable support. It offers publishing institutions training in 
technical skills in scientific publishing and support in the form of strategies to increase the 
quality and visibility of publications.  

These  policies  have  a  direct  and  palpable  reflection  in  the  presence  of  Chilean  scientific 
academic  journals  in  the  initiatives  of  the  LAC region:  there are 182  academic  journals  in 
the Latindex catalogue 2.0, 132 titles in SciELO Chile, 99 academic journals in Redalyc and 
150 titles in DOAJ.  

Table 5. Number of Chilean academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO Redalyc and DOAJ 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO Chile 

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No.  of  academic 
journals 

182 

132 

99 

150 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. Access date: 
December 2022. 

Curriculum management systems 

Chile  has  the  Researcher's  Portal162,  a  platform  developed  by  ANID  to  manage  the 
profiles of its research staff and their scientific output. This system enables ANID to access 
information  on  the  research  performance  of  both  staff  and  institutions  achieved  with  the 
funds  invested  in  research,  to  enhance  the  visibility  of  research  staff,  to  standardise 
field. 
curriculum  data  and 

to  avoid  duplication  of  effort 

research 

the 

in 

161 See https://www.scielo.cl/  
162 See https://investigadores.anid.cl/  

54 

 
 
 
  6. Colombia 

0.20% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

6.  COLOMBIA 

0.85% 
Research 
staff/EAP in 
(0/00)* 

99 
Institutional 
repositories 

428 
Open access 
journals  

National OA 
policy 

National repository 
aggregator 

OA legal 
framework  

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Source: National Open Science Policy 2022-2031 
Data: Compiled by author based on RICyT, LA Referencia, OpenDOAR and DOAJ. 
Note: Data referring to 2020. No. of researchers per thousand of labour force (0/00).  

Law 2.162 of 6 December 2021 created 
the Ministry of Science, Technology and 
Innovation (Minciencias), replacing 
Colciencias, and Decree 1.666 of 6 
December 2021 modifies the National 
Science, Technology and Innovation 
System. 

In August 2022, Minciencias published its 
National Open Science Policy 2022-
2031. It is a very ambitious initiative 
whose essential implementation elements 
are the open scientific knowledge and 
open infrastructures. 

3. 

ARGENTINA 

Minciencias  is  the  institution  that  manages  the  services  necessary  for  the  implementation  of  the 
National Open Science Policy and the Open Access Guidelines: the Colombian Scientific Information 
Network,  the  journal  assessment  and  accreditation  system,  Pulindex,  and  the  national  curriculum 
information management system CVLAC. The latter two platforms are undergoing standardisation and 
normalisation. 

is 

of 
The  Colombian  Network 
Scientific 
the 
Information 
national  aggregator  of  open 
access  repositories.  Its  objective 
is to enhance the access, visibility, 
circulation  and  management  of 
information 
Colombian  scientific 
in 
to  be  a  key  element 
and 
supporting  the  implementation  of 
the open access policy. 

Publindex  is  the  National  System 
of  Indexation  and  Standardisation 
of  Specialised  Journals,  managed 
by  Minciencias, 
through  which 
Colombian  scientific  journals  are 
evaluated  and  classified.  It  allows 
access  to  the  full  text  of  scientific 
articles through its search engine. 

CVLAC (Curriculum Vitae for Latin 
America  and  the  Caribbean)  is  a 
tool  managed  by  Minciencias,  for 
registration,  updating  and 
the 
viewing 
curricular 
the 
information of research personnel. 

of 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Institutional framework 

Governance 

The legal framework that structures the governance of the Colombian STI system consists 
of  Law  2.162  of  6  December  2021163  through  which  the  Ministry  of  Science,  Technology 
and  Innovation  is  created,  and  other  provisions  are  issued  and  Decree  1.666  of  6 
December  2021164  which  modifies  the  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation 
System (SNCT).  

The  Ministry  of  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (Minciencias)165  is  the  highest-
level body established in Law as responsible for the governance of STI policy. It replaces 
the  long-standing  Administrative  Department  of  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation 
(Colciencias), which disappears in this legal restructuring. The competences of Minciencias 
include:  (1)  managing  the  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  System  (SNCTI), 
leading  and  coordinating  public  and  private,  regional,  national  and 
international 
organisations  that  facilitate  the  development  of  a  knowledge  society;  (2)  designing, 
formulating, coordinating, promoting the implementation and evaluating public policy, plans, 
programmes  and  strategies  aimed  at  promoting,  strengthening  and  developing  science, 
technology  and  innovation;  (3)  formulating  and  coordinating  the  design,  performing  and 
assessment  of  the  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  Plan;  and  (4)  managing 
the  National  Fund  for  Financing  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  "Francisco  José  de 
Caldas  Fund".  Three  advisory  bodies  are located  within  Minciencias:  CONACTI,  the  CCN 
and the CNB. 

The National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (CONACTI) is the 
strategic thinking body whose main function is to advise the National Government and the 
National Science, Technology and Innovation System. It consists of ministers from all STI 
portfolios  and  representatives  from  the  scientific  and  innovation  field;  it  is  responsible  for 
the  creation  of  Technical  Committees,  technical  bodies  managing  the  development  of 
detailed action plans in their thematic areas of competence. 

The  National  Science  Council  (NSC)  is  a  consultative  body  of  high-level  researchers 
whose mission is to provide ongoing advice to the Government and the Ministry of Science 
and  to  provide  a  scientific  perspective  on  issues  of  interest  to  the  National  Government 
and/or society. 

The  National  Bioethics  Council  (CNB)  is  the  advisory  and  consultative  body  of  the 
National  Government  responsible  for  formulating,  articulating  and  resolving  the  dilemmas 
posed  by  research  and  intervention  on  life,  health  and  the  environment,  as  well  as  the 
construction and implementation of policies in matters concerning Bioethics. 

In  addition  to  these  advisory  bodies,  there  are  also  the  Departmental  Councils  of 
Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (CODECTI).  These  are the  bodies  responsible  for 
coordinating  STI  strategies,  advice  and  guidance  at  regional  level,  with  the  departmental 
and capital district governments. 

163 See 
https://dapre.presidencia.gov.co/normativa/normativa/LEY%202162%20DEL%206%20DE%20DICIEMBRE%20D
E%202021.pdf 
164 See https://www.funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma_pdf.php?i=173951  
165 See https://minciencias.gov.co/  

56 

 
 
The  public  agenda  for  STI  is  expressed  in  the  National  Science,  Technology  and 
Innovation Policy document. The Policy for the period 2021-2030166 has been drawn up by 
the National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES)167, an advisory body to the 
Government  in  all  aspects  related  to  the  economic  and social  development  of  the country 
that holds the highest national authority in planning by carrying out studies and approving 
documents  on  the  development  of  specific  public  policies.  The  overall  objective  of  the 
National STI Policy 2021-2023 is to increase the contribution of STI to the social, economic, 
environmental and sustainable development of the country with a differential, territorial and 
participatory approach, in order to contribute to achieving cultural changes that promote a 
knowledge  society.  Following  a  diagnosis  of  the  situation  of  the  Colombian  system,  it 
defines the national strategy for the period in question, based on six strategic priorities: (1) 
to foster vocations, training and skilled employment in Colombian society; (2) to develop an 
enabling environment for knowledge generation; (3) to increase the use of knowledge in the 
country; (4) to increase the valuation and social appropriation of knowledge; (5) to improve 
the multilevel governance of the National Science, Technology and Innovation System; and 
(6) to increase the volume, efficiency and evaluation of funding. 

Research Funding  

The bodies responsible for public funding of STI activities in Colombia are the Minciencias 
and the Collegiate Administration and Decision-Making Body (OCAD).  

Minciencias manages the "Fondo Francisco José de Caldas" National Financing Fund 
for  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (FFJC)168.  Created  in  2009  and  managed  by 
Colciencias until the creation of Minciencias, the FFJC is a financial mechanism that brings 
together resources from public, private, international and donor sources. This fund finances 
STI  programmes,  projects,  entities  and  activities,  signs  special  collaboration  agreements 
and invests in venture capital funds and other financial instruments. 

The  Collegiate  Administration  and  Decision  Making  Body  (OCAD)169  manages  the 
Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  Fund  (FCTeI)170  and  is  responsible  for  approving 
the terms of reference of its public calls for proposals and for the prioritisation and approval 
of  the  investment  projects  it  finances.  Its  resources  come  from  the  General  Royalties 
System (SGR)171, a funding scheme coordinated between territorial entities and the national 
government  to  which  10%  of  the  resources  that  the  Colombian  state  receives  from  the 
exploitation  of  non-renewable  natural  resources  are  allocated  by  constitutional  mandate. 
The  OCAD  is  made  up  of  territorial  governments,  university  representatives  and  the 
national government through Minciencias. Funding is awarded through competitive calls on 
a biennial schedule172 detailing the calls to be carried out. The strategic lines for the period 
2021-2022  are  as  follows:  (1)  strengthening  of  the  Territorial  Science,  Technology  and 
Innovation  System;  (2)  social  buy-in  of  science  and  technology  and  vocations  for  the 
consolidation  of  a  knowledge  society;  (3)  training  of  high-level  human  capital  for  STI;  (4) 
research  for  the  advancement  of  knowledge  and  creation;  (5)  innovation  for  productivity, 
competitiveness  and  social  development;  and  (6)  science  and  technology  for  the 
environment and sustainable development. 

166 See https://colaboracion.dnp.gov.co/CDT/Conpes/Econ%C3%B3micos/4069.pdf 
167 See https://www.dnp.gov.co/CONPES#  
168 See https://minciencias.gov.co/portafolio/fondo-fjc  
169 See https://minciencias.gov.co/node/1088  
170 See https://minciencias.gov.co/sites/default/files/upload/reglamentacion/actolegislativo-05-2011.pdf 
171 See https://www.sgr.gov.co/  
172 See https://minciencias.gov.co/sites/default/files/publicacion_mod3_pc_actei_sgr_2021-2022_270222.pdf 

57 

 
 
In  addition  to  these  specific  funds,  tax  benefits173  are  an  instrument  for  financing  STI 
activities  in  Colombia.  Their  aim  is  to  encourage  investment  in  R&D&I  by  companies  in 
collaboration with recognised organisations within the system. To this end, tax deductions 
and  discounts  are  granted  to  investing  and  executing  entities,  a  VAT  exemption  is 
authorised  for the  import of equipment  and  elements  and  the  participation  of  personnel  in 
science,  technology  and  innovation  projects  is  encouraged  through  the  fiscally  beneficial 
treatment of such income. The body responsible for the administration and management of 
tax benefits in science, technology and innovation is the National Council for Tax Benefits in 
Science, Technology and Innovation (CNBT).  

Research Performing  

The agents engaging in STI activity in Colombia are universities, public research institutes, 
research  centres,  technological  development  centres  and  R&D&I  business  units.  These 
organisations,  which  may  be  public,  private  or  mixed,  have  access  to  the  InstituLAC 
platform174  whose  purpose  is  to  build  a  complete  and  organised  computer  base  for  the 
registration of the information of the research institutions to which the groups, researchers 
and  academic  journals  are  linked.  Through  this  platform  they  are  officially  registered  to 
access public support and accreditation services.  

The  university  sector  consists  of  141  universities,  of  which  59  are  public  and  82  are 
private175. 

The  institutions  responsible  for  the  implementation  of  the  STI  activity  are  officially 
recognised by the Ministry of Science and Technology following a prior activity assessment. 
This  recognition  makes  it  easier  to  obtain  public  funding  for  research.  At  the  date  of  this 
report,  there  are  131  recognised  institutions  recognised  engaged  in  science,  technology 
and  innovation  activities:176  15  universities,  14  public  research  institutes,  20  technological 
development  centres,  34  research  centres,  30  innovative  companies,  2  technology-based 
business incubators and 16 science centres (mainly museums and botanical gardens).  

Research Assessment  

Teachers and researchers working as public employees in state or official universities are 
evaluated by the Ministry of Education in accordance with the provisions of Decree 1.279 of 
2002177. Their salaries depend on the scores they obtain for their scientific output, academic 
training, academic management and teaching performance. 

Research  staff  assigned  to  other  institutions  involved  in  STI  activity  (public  research 
institutes, research centres, technological development centres and R&D&I business units) 
are not  subject  to  individual  assessment  beyond  the  institutional  accreditation  process  for 
obtaining recognition by Minciencias.  

173 See https://minciencias.gov.co/viceministerios/conocimiento/direccion_transferencia/beneficios-tributarios  
174 See https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/institulac2-war/  
175 See https://snies.mineducacion.gov.co/portal/  
176 See https://minciencias.gov.co/sites/default/files/actores_reconocidos_junio_-_2022.xlsx 
177 See https://www.mineducacion.gov.co/1780/articles-86434_Archivo_pdf.pdf  

58 

 
 
 
 
  Open access policy and legal framework 

Colombia has a National Open Science Policy178 as of August 2022. The main objective 
of this official document, published and endorsed by the highest authority of Minciencias, is 
to  increase  the  access,  visibility,  reproducibility  and  use  of  data,  resources,  output  and 
results of research activity in Colombia. The Policy undertakes an extensive review of the 
initiatives  promoting  open  science  in  the  world,  in  the  Latin  American  region  and  in 
Colombia  and  delves  into  the  background  of  Minciencias  that  has  made  its  crystallisation 
possible:  resolutions  166179  and  167180  of  2019,  which,  respectively,  establish  the 
Colombian  Scientific  Information  Network  and  adopt  the  guidelines  for  an  Open  Science 
Policy in Colombia and  resolution 361181 of 2020 which specifies the intellectual property 
clause to be included in public calls, invitations, contracts and agreements entered into by 
Minciencias.  The  latter  stipulates  that  research  personnel  receiving  public  funding  for 
scientific  research  and  technological  development  activities  must  make  data,  procedures 
and  intermediate  elements  that  are  communicable  and  potentially  useful  to  other 
researchers  available  to  the  state  and  to  other  researchers  and  make  the  pre-publication 
versions  of  scientific  work  open  access.  Subsequently, 
its 
appropriateness,  analyses  the  conceptual  framework  of  open  science  and  makes  a 
diagnosis of the Colombian situation. Finally, it defines its objectives, its action plan and its 
monitoring and research assessment mechanisms.   

the  Policy 

justifies 

The  Policy  's  action  plan consists  of  5  specific  objectives:  (1) to  expand  the  adoption  and 
implementation  of  policies,  regulations,  directives,  guidelines,  protocols  and  procedures  in 
the strategic institutions of the country's open science model, which would  strengthen their 
governance;  (2)  to  create  a  culture  of  openness,  dialogue,  inclusion  and  social 
responsibility  of  the  those  producing  scientific  knowledge  in  the  country  that  generates 
solutions to the problems and needs of the population; (3) to establish a system of metrics 
and  incentives  that  promote,  value  and  recognize  the  Open  Science  practices,  processes 
and  results  of  the  Colombian  scientific  community  and  integrate  it  into  the  models  and 
systems  of  metrics  and  incentives  of  the  existing  STI  activities  in  the  country;  (4)  to 
strengthen the knowledge, skills and expertise of the strategic Open Science actors in the 
country; and (5) to optimize the use and enhance the available Colombian infrastructures to 
advance  open  science  practices  and  processes,  as  well  as  to  communicate  and  access 
scientific, technological and innovation results of interest to Colombia. 

This  last  object  summarises  the  open  access  policy  and  is  structured  in  three  strategic 
actions,  the  first  of  which  is  to  implement  an  interoperable  infrastructure  of  research 
information systems, institutional repositories and public and private databases to manage 
the unified registry and open access to national data and knowledge production. In order to 
complete  this  action,  the  following  goals  are  set:  (1)  to  increase  the  programme  of 
institutional  repositories  of  the  Colombian  Network  of  Scientific  Information;  (2)  to  include 
the  other  research  outputs  recognised  by  Minciencias;  (3)  to  strengthen  the  national 
repository to aggregate information from institutional repositories under the guidelines and 
coordination  of  the  Network;  (4)  to  progressively  increase  the  percentage  of  scientific 
publications  and  research  data  financed  with  public  funds  in  open  access;  and  (5)  to 
generate the technical conditions to guarantee the reuse of the data. 

178 See 
https://minciencias.gov.co/pdf/pdfreader?url=https://minciencias.gov.co/sites/default/files/politica_nacional_de_cie
ncia_abierta_-2022_-_version_aprobada.pdf   
179 See https://minciencias.gov.co/sites/default/files/upload/reglamentacion/resolucion_0166-2019.pdf  
180 See https://minciencias.gov.co/sites/default/files/upload/reglamentacion/resolucion_0167-2019.pdf  
181 See https://minciencias.gov.co/sites/default/files/upload/reglamentacion/resolucion_0361-2020.pdf  

59 

 
 
As  of  the  publication  of  this  study,  Minciencias  is  in  consultation  with  national  and 
international experts to design the guidelines for the culture of openness and management 
of scientific publications, open research data management and guidelines on metadata and 
data  management  plans.  The  institutional  research  data  repository  is  expected  to  be 
implemented soon. 

Besides  the  national  policy,  there  are  three  universities  with  an  institutional  open 
access  policy:  the  El  Rosario  University182,  the  Antioquía  University183,  and  the  Nacional 
University184. 

  Open access digital platforms 

Repositories  

Open  access  repositories  are  the  core  element  of  Colombia's  open  access  policy.  The 
national  node  managing  the  digital  platforms  is  the  Colombian  Network  of  Scientific 
Information185. Managed by Minciencias, it promotes open access to scientific knowledge 
and  research  data,  encourages  the  use  of  national  scientific  production,  connects  and 
coordinates  scientific  information  services,  collections  and  knowledge  and  manages 
Colombia's  scientific  documentary  assets.  As  of  the  publication  of  this  study,  the  Network 
has  87  linked  institutions,  which  together  host  more  than  200,000  research  output  items 
from  65  institutional  repositories  in  different  regions  of  the  country,  including  the  National 
University of Colombia (which contributes 28% of the total scientific output deposited in the 
Network), the University of Rosario and the University of Antioquia (which contribute 7.1% 
and  5.7%  respectively).  The  Network  is  the  national  node  representing  Colombia  in  LA 
Referencia.  

Academic Journals  

Open access journals have also received significant support from the public authorities. The 
National  System  of 
Indexation  and  Standardisation  of  Specialised  Journals 
(Publindex)186 is a system, created in 2003, for the research assessment and classification 
of Colombian academic journals. This service is coordinated through annual calls that seek 
to  improve  the  quality  of  national  scientific  publications  through  the  analysis  of  editorial 
management,  visibility  and  impact  criteria.  Academic  journals  that  pass  the  assessment 
process are classified and indexed by Minciencias. Publindex can be used to download the 
full texts of articles and journals indexed in its search engine187 and to carry out exhaustive 
search  by  title,  ISSN,  area  of  knowledge,  year,  author,  title,  subject  or  keywords. 
Publication in these academic journals is considered an indication of the scientific quality of 
the work submitted for evaluation by the Ministry of Education. 

182 See https://editorial.urosario.edu.co/politi-de-acceso-abierto  
183 See https://www.udea.edu.co/wps/portal/udea/web/inicio/investigacion/ciencia-abierta/ciencia-
abierta/contenido/asmenulateral/politicas  
184 See https://zenodo.org/record/7324983  
185 See https://redcol.minciencias.gov.co/  
186 See https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/publindex/  
187 See https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/publindex/#/revistasPublindex/buscador  

60 

 
 
 
In  addition,  SciELO  Colombia188  also  receives  public  support.  It  has  a  National 
Consultative Committee consisting of Minciencias, the Pan American Health Organization-
Colombia  Representation,  the  National  University  of  Colombia  and  representatives  of  the 
national publishers.  

In  general,  Colombian  academic  journals  have  a  notable  presence  in  Latindex,  with  69 
academic  journals  in  catalogue  2.0,  in  SciELO  Colombia,  with  203  indexed  titles  and  in 
Redalyc, where there are a total of 261 academic journals. Regarding the DOAJ, Colombia 
has  a  total  of  428  indexed  journals,  placing  it  just  behind  Brazil  as  the  second  Latin 
American country with the most academic journals in this directory. 

Table 6. Number of Colombian academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO and Redalyc 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO Colombia 

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

69 

203 

261 

428 

No. of academic 
journals 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. Access date: 
December 2022. 

Curriculum management systems 

CvLAC  (Curriculum  Vitae  for  Latin  America  and  the  Caribbean)189  is  the  permanent 
register of curricula vitae of research personnel, academic communities, and experts of the 
Colombian STI system that serves as a tool for communicating merits for submission to the 
calls for admission to the peer review information service and to the calls for the recognition 
and  measurement  of  Colombian  scientific  or  technological  research  groups.  This  tool, 
implemented in 2002 and managed by Minciencias, increases the national and international 
visibility  of  research  staff.  It  is  a  database  for  the  selection  of  peer  reviewers  from  higher 
education, research, and innovation institutions. It also enables the areas of interest and the 
results obtained by the research staff to be made known and is a space for the exchange of 
ideas and the development of potential research projects; it is a useful tool for applying for 
public  calls  for  proposals.  The  tool  is  used  for  queries,  through  its  search  engine,  on  the 
activities  and  results  in  science  and  technology  of  Colombian  researchers  and  groups, 
using  search  terms  such  as  names,  surnames,  academic  level,  region  or  city,  keywords, 
areas,  sub-areas  and  knowledge  or  technology  specialists,  sectors  of  application  and 
research outputs190.  

188 See http://www.scielo.org.co/?lng=es  
189 See https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/cvlac/Login/pre_s_login.do  
190 See https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/ciencia-war/  

61 

 
 
 
 
  7. Costa Rica 

7.  COSTA RICA 

0.39% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

1.74% 
Research staff/EAP 
in (0/00)* 

9 
Institutional 
repositories 

73 
Open access 
journals  

National OA 
policy

National repository 
aggregator

OA legal 
framework 

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Source: See the National Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (PNCTI) 2022-2027. 
Data: Compiled by author based on RICyT, LA Referencia, OpenDOAR and DOAJ. 
Note: Data referring to 2018. No. of researchers per thousand of labour force (0/00). 

The national STI system in Costa Rica is 
regulated by Law 7.169 on Scientific and 
Technological Promotion and 
Development of 1990, amended in 2012, 
2019 and 2021.This legal framework 
defines the composition and functions of 
the different agents and instruments on 
which government action is based. 

Costa Rica does not have a national 
open access policy, although it does 
have some institutional policies within 
the public university sector. CONARE 
open access regulation is expected to be 
published soon. 

3. 

ARGENTINA 

The  University  of  Costa  Rica,  the  National  University  and  the  Technological  Institute  of  Costa  Rica 
also have policies to promote the depositing of the results of publicly funded research in open access 
repositories.  All  of  them,  together  with  the  State  Distance  Learning  University  and  the  National 
Technical University of Costa Rica, are working with CONARE on the design of a national policy. 

The  National  Kímuk  aggregator 
is an open access tool, promoted 
by  CONARE,  whose  objective  is 
to offer online access to national 
academic  and  scientific  output. 
To  do  so,  it  harvests  institutional 
repositories  in  Costa  Rica  and 
their 
validates 
metadata. 

the  quality  of 

SciELO Costa Rica is managed by 
the  National  Library  of  Health  and 
Social  Security  and  has  a  total  of 
48 indexed titles in different subject 
sciences, 
areas: 
health 
biological 
earth 
sciences, 
sciences, 
sciences, 
humanities, 
and 
linguistics. 

social 
engineering 

agricultural 

sciences, 

exact 

and 

62 

by 

The  National  Information  System 
and  Technology 
of  Science 
(SINCYT),  managed 
the 
Innovation, 
Ministry  of  Science, 
Technology 
and 
Telecommunications 
(MICITT), 
enables  the  integration  of  national 
research, 
on 
information 
capital, 
human 
publications, 
research 
research 
centres 
technological 
equipment of laboratories. 

projects, 
and 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Institutional framework 

Governance 

The  national  STI  system  in  Costa  Rica  is  regulated  by  Law  7169  on  Scientific  and 
Technological  Promotion  and  Development,  191enacted  in  1990  and  amended  in  2012, 
2019 and 2021.This legal framework is used to define the composition and functions of the 
different  agents  of  the  Costa  Rican  R&D&I  system  and  the  instruments  on  which 
government  action  is  based.  The  Ministry  of  Science,  Innovation,  Technology  and 
Telecommunications (MICITT)192 is the governing body of the STI, whose powers include: 
(1)  defining  public  policy  on  science,  technology  and  innovation  and  contributing  to  the 
integration  of  this  policy  with  the  country's  overall  economic  and  social  policy;  (2) 
coordinating  the  work  of  the  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  System;  (3) 
preparing,  implementing  and  monitoring  the  National  Science  and  Technology  Plan;  (4) 
supporting  and  financing  actions  to  promote  science,  technology  and  innovation  that  are 
considered to be of national interest; and (5) managing and organising the National Science 
and Technology Information System (SINCYT), as a means of supporting the quantification 
of  the  national  or  foreign,  public  or  private,  budgetary  or  extra-budgetary  resources 
allocated to science, technology and innovation activities and as a source of information. 

The  Costa  Rican  Innovation  and  Research  Promotion  Agency193  was  created  in  the 
legal  reform  of  2021194  and  replaced  the  National  Council for Scientific  and  Technological 
Research195  as  the  body  responsible  for  promoting  innovation  and  scientific  and 
technological development in the country. It manages instruments, programmes and other 
public policy guidelines issued by the Executive through the MICITT to encourage: (1) basic 
research,  applied  research  and  technological  development;  (2)  innovation;  (3)  innovative 
and  technology-based  entrepreneurship;  (4)  technology  transfer;  and  (5)  human  capital 
specialised  in  science,  technology  and  innovation.  Its  work  is  aligned  with  the  National 
Science  and  Technology  Plan.  Its  resources  come  mainly  from  the  Ministry  of  Science, 
Innovation,  Technology  and  Telecommunications,  which  transfers  at  least  14%  of  the 
Ministry's budget to it. 

STI policy is planned through the National Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation 
(PNCTI)  2022-2027196.  This  document  responds  to  the  guidelines  set  out  in  the  National 
Policy  for  a  Knowledge-Based  Society  and  Economy  2022-2050  (PNSEBC)  and,  in 
particular,  to  those  targeting  the  development  of  science,  technology  and  innovation.  It 
defines  its  mission  as  to  steer  the  science,  technology  and  innovation  sector  towards  a 
knowledge-based  society  and  economy 
for  sustainable,  equitable  and  supportive 
socioeconomic development. The Plan defines three strategic areas: (1) human talent; (2) 
knowledge  generation;  and  (3)  transformative  innovation.  These  areas  will,  in  turn,  be 
structured  in  three  cross-cutting  themes  and  two  emerging  themes:  (1)  Bioeconomy;  (2) 
Digital technologies; (3) Artificial intelligence; (4) Human health and life sciences research; 
and (6) Aerospace development. 

191 See 
http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?nValor1=1&nValor2=11908 
192 See https://www.micitt.go.cr/ 
193 See http://www.promotora.go.cr/web/  
194 See 
http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?nValor1=1&nValor2=94421
&nValor3=0. 
195 See http://www.conicit.go.cr/  
196 See https://www.micitt.go.cr/wp-
content/uploads/2022/06/Plan_Nacional_Ciencia_Tecnologia_Innovacion_2022-2027.pdf 

63 

 
 
Research Funding  

MICITT  is  the  institution  that  manages  the  public  funding  of  science  and  technology 
activities. This takes place through public grant calls designed and managed by the Costa 
Rican  Innovation  and  Research  Promotion  Agency.  Its  resources  come  from  the 
Science  and  Technology  Incentive  Fund,  the  ProPYME  Fund,  as  well  as  funds  from 
agreements and international cooperation. 

The National Council of Vice-Chancellors (CONARE)197 also funds cross-cutting science 
and technology activities conducted by Costa Rican universities.  

In  Costa  Rica,  Universities  are  the  entities  that  receive  the  R&D  funding  from  the  above 
mentioned  national  bodies  and  distribute  the  funds  to  their  researchers.  They  also  devote 
part of their resources to STI funding activities. 

Research Performing  

The most important bodies engaged in research are the public universities of the country. 
Between  70%  and  80%198  of  research  in  Costa  Rica  is  conducted  by  these  five  bodies: 
University  of  Costa  Rica,  National  University,  Technological  Institute  of  Costa  Rica,  State 
Distance  Learning  University  and  National  Technical  University.  Together  they  make  up 
CONARE  which  supports  inter-university  coordination  and  allocates  resources  from  the 
Special Fund for the Financing of Higher Education. 

There  are  also  public  research  centres  such  as  the  Costa  Rican  Institute  for  Research 
and  Education  in  Nutrition  and  Health  (INCIENSA)199,  the  Tropical  Agricultural  Research 
and Higher Education Centre (CATIE)200 or the National Biodiversity Institute (INBio)201. The 
country's  companies  collaborate  with  these  institutions  in  technological  development 
activities.  

The  data  for  spending  on  STI  activities  show  that  approximately  48%  is  spent  by 
universities (public and private), 37% by business, 13% by the public sector and the rest by 
private non-profit organisations (Source: RICYT).202 

Research Assessment  

In  Costa  Rica  there  is  not  nationally  research  assessment  system  established  system  of 
evaluation and incentivisation of scientific production.  

CONARE  also  has  individual  and  institutional  performance  assessment  tools,  used  by  its 
member  universities  to  measure  the  results  of  the  science,  technology  and  innovation 
activities conducted by their staff.  

The  National  Information  System  of  Science  and  Technology  (SINCYT)203  is  the  tool 
that  collects  national  data  on  research,  publications,  human  capital,  research  projects, 

197 See https://www.conare.ac.cr/  
198 See https://kimuk.conare.ac.cr/Content/aabierto  
199 See https://www.inciensa.sa.cr/  
200 See https://www.catie.ac.cr/  
201 See http://www.inbio.ac.cr   
202 See http://www.ricyt.org/category/indicadores/  
203 See https://www.sincyt.go.cr/ 

64 

 
 
research centres and laboratory technology equipment, to provide the population with open 
access to relevant data and the centralisation of this information at national level.  

For  its  part,  MICITT204  manages  the  evaluation  and  monitoring  of  the  National  Science, 
Technology  and  Innovation  Plan  and  regularly  publishes  data  on  national  science, 
technology and innovation data. 

  Open access policy and legal framework  

As  of  the  date  of  this  report,  Costa  Rica  does  not  have  a  national  open  access  policy, 
although it does have some important institutional initiatives. 

At national level, neither Law 7169 nor PNCTI 2022-2027 include elements related to open 
access. However, CONARE is working on the design of a national policy in this area. To do 
this,  five  public  universities  in  Costa  Rica  (University  of  Costa  Rica,  National  University, 
Technological  Institute  of  Costa  Rica,  State  Distance  Learning  University  and  National 
Technical  University)  are  actively  collaborating  and  significant  progress  is  expected  to  be 
announced soon.  

At institutional level, the University of Costa Rica205 has Resolution No. VI-2970-2011206, 
approving  the  general  guidelines  on  the  dissemination  of  the  scientific  information  of  the 
University of Costa Rica and the Research Regulations207, which promote deposits in open 
access repositories. 

The  National  University208  has  a  Policy  for  the  Preservation  of  Institutional  Academic 
Assets209 and an Institutional Policy for the Use of Free Software  210. The first encourages 
open  access  and  promotes  a  culture  of  publication  and  free  dissemination  of  institutional 
academic assets, with due observance of the regulation of intellectual property rights. While 
the latter aims to approve the promotion and adoption of the  use of free and open source 
software in the university environment.  

The Technological Institute of Costa Rica211 has an Open Access and Reuse Policy 212 
based on the principles of the Budapest Declaration. 

Costa  Rica  is  one  of  the  most  active  contributors  to  the  coordination  of  open  science 
initiatives within CTCAP. 

204 See https://www.micitt.go.cr/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/indicadores_2017_compressed_1.pdf 
205 See https://vinv.ucr.ac.cr/es/tags/politicas-de-acceso-abierto-en-la-universidad-de-costa-rica  
206 See https://iij.ucr.ac.cr/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-
manager/resolucion_de_la_vicerrectoria_de_investigacion_sobre_derechos_de_autor_vi-2970-2011_54.pdf  
207 See https://vinv.ucr.ac.cr/sites/default/files/files/investigacion_ucr.pdf  
208 See https://www.una.ac.cr/  
209 See https://documentos.una.ac.cr/handle/unadocs/3424  
210 See https://documentos.una.ac.cr/handle/unadocs/3262  
211 See https://www.tec.ac.cr/  
212 See https://revistas.tec.ac.cr/index.php/tec_marcha/politicas  

65 

 
 
 
 
 
  Open access digital platforms 

Repositories   

Repositories  are  key  elements  of  institutional  open  access  public  policies.  All  public 
universities  have  their  own  institutional  repository.  CONARE  is  the  entity  responsible  for 
ensuring  the  quality  of  these  platforms  through  quality  assessment213  and  aggregation  in 
Kímuk. 

The  Kímuk  National  Repository214  is  the  national  open  access  aggregator  promoted  by 
CONARE  whose  objective  is  to  enhance  the  online  visibility  of  national  academic  and 
scientific output. Kímuk houses a total of 85,513 documents from 9 repositories of 9 Costa 
Rican  institutions:  University  of  Costa  Rica,  National  University,  Technological  Institute  of 
Costa  Rica,  State  Distance  Learning  University,  National  Technical  University,  National 
Council  of  Vice-Chancellors,  the  Tropical  Agricultural  Research  and  Higher  Education 
Centre, LEAD University, Public Law Consultants.  

Most of the documents available in Kímuk are research articles (65%) and master's theses 
(9.0%)  and  undergraduate  dissertations  (8.3%).  Furthermore,  80%  of  the  total  number  of 
documents  are  from  the  University  of  Costa  Rica  (47,338  documents)  and  the  National 
University (21,004). 99% of the documents are published in open access.  

Academic Journals  

CONARE  evaluates  the  scientific  and  editorial  quality  of  Costa  Rican  academic  journals 
through  a  public  and  periodic  call  for  papers215,  based  on  standards,  to  which  academic 
journals apply on a voluntary basis.  

The following public universities have academic journal portals: University of Costa Rica216, 
National  University217,  Technological  Institute  of  Costa  Rica218,  State  Distance  Learning 
University219 and National Technical University220 evaluate the quality of their publications at 
institutional level and index them in their repositories. Through them, the academic journals 
are included in Kímuk.  

SciELO  Costa  Rica221  is  managed  by  the  National  Library  of  Health  and  Social  Security 
(BINASSS).  222  At  its  inception  in  2000,  the  SciELO  Costa  Rica  collection  only  added 
academic journals in the health area. In 2010 it was opened to all areas of knowledge.  

Costa Rican journals have a significant presence in Latindex, with 95 academic journals in 
catalogue 2.0, in SciELO Costa Rica, with 49 indexed titles and in Redalyc, where there is a 
total of 38 journals. In DOAJ, Costa Rica has a total of 73 indexed journals. 

213 See https://conocimientoabierto.conare.ac.cr/index.php/evaluacion-de-repositorios/  
214 See https://kimuk.conare.ac.cr/  
215 See https://conocimientoabierto.conare.ac.cr/index.php/evaluacion-de-revistas/  
216 See https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/  
217 See https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/  
218 See https://repositoriotec.tec.ac.cr/handle/2238/3940  
219 See https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/  
220 See https://revistas.utn.ac.cr/  
221 See https://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php  
222 See https://www.binasss.sa.cr/  

66 

 
 
 
Table 7. Number of Costa Rican academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO Costa 
Rica 

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No. of academic 
journals 

95 

49 

38 

73 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. Access date: 
December 2022. 

Curriculum management systems 

Costa  Rica  has  no  national-level  curriculum  management  system.  At  institutional  level, 
some universities, such as the University of Costa Rica and the National University,223 have 
databases of the profiles of their research staff linked to their scientific publications and the 
research projects in which they have participated. 

223 See www.redacademica.una.ac.cr  

67 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  8. Ecuador 

0.44% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

8.  ECUADOR 

1.58% 
Research 
staff/EAP in 
(0/00)* 

65 
Institutional 
repositories 

87 
Open access 
journals  

National OA 
policy

National repository 
aggregator

OA legal 
framework 

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 

system 

Source: See Organic Code of the Knowledge and Innovation Social Economy. 
Data: Compiled by author based on RICyT, LA Referencia, OpenDOAR and DOAJ. 
Note: Data referring to 2014. No. of researchers per thousand of labour force (0/00) 

The Organic Code of the Knowledge, 
Creativity and Innovation Social 
Economy, approved in 2016, is the legal 
framework that structures the composition 
and governance of the National System of 
Science, Technology, Innovation and 
Ancestral Knowledge (CTIySA). 

Ecuador does not have a national 
open access policy as such, although it 
has some significant initiatives set out 
in the Organic Code of the Knowledge 
and Innovation Social Economy and in 
the CTIySA Plan, developed by the 
Ministry of Telecommunications. 

Open access initiatives in Ecuador are based on the hegemony of SENESCYT as a key entity in the 
governance  of  the  STI  system  and  on  institutional  repositories  as  an  implementation  element.  The 
Ecuadorian Corporation for the Development of Research and the Academy (CEDIA) is the entity that 
manages  the  Ecuadorian  Open  Access  Repository  Network  (RRAAE)  and  the  Ecuadorian 
Researchers' Repository (REDI). 

is 

is 

of 

open 

the  national 
The  RRAAE 
aggregator 
access 
repositories  in  Ecuador.  Managed 
its  objective 
by  CEDIA, 
to 
management, 
facilitate 
the 
decentralisation, 
organisation, 
preservation and interoperability of 
content 
open 
generated  by  institutions  in  the 
country's  academic  and  scientific 
community. 

access 

digital 

The  SciELO  Ecuador  collection  is 
initiative  promoting 
the  main 
academic  journals  developed  in 
the 
by 
country.  Managed 
SENESCYT, it comprises 26 titles, 
of  which  applied  social  sciences 
and  engineering  account  for more 
than  70%  of  the  total  number  of 
indexed journals. 

68 

The  Ecuadorian  Researchers' 
Repository  (REDI)  is  the  national 
system  for curriculum  information 
management.  It  aims  to  bring 
together  research  staff  data  in  a 
facilitate 
standardised 
for 
access 
proposals and enable specialised 
searches to be carried out. 

to  public 

format, 

calls 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Institutional framework 

Governance  

The national STI system is called the National System of Science, Technology, Innovation 
and Ancestral Knowledge (CTIySA) and is enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of 
Ecuador.  The  Organic  Code  of  the  Knowledge,  Creativity  and  Innovation  Social 
Economy224, approved in 2016, is the legal framework that structures its composition and 
governance,  as  well  as  its  coordination  with  the  National  Education  System,  the  Higher 
Education System and the National Culture System. 

The  Department  of  Higher  Education,  Science,  Technology  and 
Innovation 
(SENESCYT)225 is the highest governing body of the Ecuadorian STIySA system. Its role is 
to  steer  public  policy  on  higher  education,  science,  technology,  innovation  and  ancestral 
knowledge, coordinating its application with the organisations that make up the system. Its 
competencies  include:  (1)  defining  and  approving  strategies,  guidelines  and  mechanisms 
for the implementation of the public policy of the higher education, science, technology and 
innovation  system;  (2)  approving  plans,  programmes  and  projects  in  higher  education, 
university,  polytechnic,  technical  and  technological  education;  (3)  strengthening  human 
talent and research, innovation and technology transfer; and (4) financing, monitoring and 
evaluating  plans,  programmes  and  projects  of  scientific  research, 
innovation  and 
technology transfer.  

The  National  Consultative  Committee  of  the  Knowledge,  Creativity,  Innovation  and 
Ancestral  Knowledge  Social  Economy  is  a  body  for  consultation  and  advice  on  the 
policies  coordinating  the  National  CTIySA  system  with  the  decentralised  work  of  the 
Regional Advisory Committees for Higher Education, Science, Technology, Innovation and 
Ancestral  Knowledge  and  with  those  involved  in  knowledge,  creativity  and  innovation  in 
social economy.  

The  Regional  Advisory  Committees  for  Higher  Education,  Science,  Technology, 
Innovation  and  Ancestral  Knowledge  are  consultative  bodies 
the  regional 
administrative area in which they are located, for coordination of its work with the  work of 
the Executive, the members of the CTIySA System and the productive entities. 

for 

The  science,  technology  and  innovation  policy  are  coordinated  through  the  Science, 
Technology, Innovation and Ancestral Knowledge Plan. In 2021 SENESCYT published 
a  preliminary  document226  of  the  Plan  that  contains  a  long-term  vision  of  the  Ecuadorian 
STI&SSA system until 2050, a diagnosis of the national situation and 12 lines of action: (1) 
enhancing the governance of the CTiySA National System by strengthening the institutional 
framework  and  the  sustainability  of  its  policies;  (2)  timely,  sustainable,  efficient  and 
transparent  financing  of  science,  technology  and  innovation  with  public  and  private 
resources  and  international  cooperation;  (3)  promoting  a  greater  access  to  quality  higher 
education  to  ensure  the  availability  of  more  qualified  human  talent  to  develop  R&D&i  and 
reduce social and productive gaps; (4) promoting an education system that fosters R&D&i 
skills and capacities aimed at solving the social, economic and productive problems of the 
country;  (5) promoting  the  culture of  science  and  its  importance  as  a  human  right  and  an 
engine  of  sustainable  endogenous  development;  (6)  strengthening,  recovering  and 

224 See https://www.gob.ec/sites/default/files/regulations/2019-02/Documento_C%C3%B3digo-Org%C3%A1nico-
Econom%C3%ADa-Social-Conocimientos-Creatividad-Innovaci%C3%B3n.pdf  
225 See https://www.educacionsuperior.gob.ec/  
226 See https://www.bivica.org/files/5879_Plan%20Nacional%20SENESCYT.pdf 

69 

 
 
systematising  ancestral  knowledge  to  respond  to  social,  environmental  and  economic 
problems  and  opportunities;  (7)  ensuring  decent  working  conditions,  gender  equality, 
distribution  of  researchers  and  recognition  of  human  talent  dedicated  to  R&D&I  by 
expanding  the  incentives  system;  (8)  strengthening  the  management,  knowledge  and 
sustainability capacities of those engaged in science, technology and innovation to respond 
to  social  and  productive  needs  and  opportunities;  (9)  generating  capacities  regarding  the 
use  and  knowledge  of  intellectual  rights;  (10)  promoting  the  strengthening  of  spaces, 
infrastructures  and  equipment  for  the  relevant  development  of  R&D&i;  (11)  democratising 
access  to  and  benefits  of  science,  technology  and  innovation;  and  (12)  ensuring  the 
availability  of  centralised  and  comprehensive 
technology, 
innovation and ancestral knowledge. 

information  on  science, 

Research Funding  

SENESCYT  is  the  institution  that  manages  the  public  funding  of  science  and  technology 
activities  in  Ecuador.  To  this  end,  it  uses  public  calls  to  fund  scientific  research  and 
technological  development  programmes  in  the  different  areas  of  knowledge.  In  order  to 
obtain  funding,  projects  must  respond  to  national  problems  and  needs  with  a  territorial 
scope and must favour social and productive development and the comprehensive training 
of society and those involved in the CRIySA system. 

In  2018,  SENESCYT  launched  the  “INÉDITA”  National  Research  Financing  Programme, 
whose  objective  was  to  finance  research  and/or  technological  development  projects 
through  competitive  calls  in  two  formats,  institutional  and  collaborative,  in  seven  areas  of 
research:  health  and  welfare;  agriculture  and  livestock;  environment,  biodiversity  and 
climate  change;  energy  and  materials;  industrial  development;  inclusive  territory  and 
society; and information and communication technologies.  

In  addition,  those  implementing  the  Science,  Technology,  Innovation  and  Ancestral 
Knowledge  System  have  their  own  calls  to  support  scientific  activity,  for  which  they  have 
international funding sources.  

Research Performing  

The  entities  that  carry  out  research  activity  in  Ecuador  are the  universities  and  the  Public 
Research Institutes.  

The  Universities  are  regulated  by  the  Organic  Law  on  Higher  Education  (LOES)227, 
approved  in  2010,  which  establishes  the  functioning  of  the  institutions  that  make  up  the 
Higher  Education  System.  There  is  a  total  of  60  universities  in  Ecuador,  31  of  which  are 
public. 

In addition, there are a 8 public research institutes (PRI) that are the key agencies in the 
country for guaranteeing responsible research in accordance with the legal regulations that 
establish  that  the  State  must  guarantee  the  permanent  operation  of  institutes  related  to 
public health, biodiversity, agricultural research, fisheries, geology, mining and metallurgy, 
energy  efficiency  and  renewable  energy,  oceanography,  space  studies,  Antarctic  polar 
studies,  cartography  and  geography,  meteorology  and  hydrology,  statistics  and  censuses 
and cultural heritage. The PRIs are autonomous administrative and financial organisations 
whose  purpose  is  to  promote,  coordinate,  implement  and  foster  scientific  research 

227 See https://www.ces.gob.ec/documentos/Normativa/LOES.pdf  

70 

 
 
processes  and  to  generate  and  transfer  technological  development.  These  are:  (1)  the 
National  Institute  of  Public  Health  Research  (INSPI)228,  (2)  the  Institute  of  Geological  and 
Energy  Research  (IIGE)229,  (3)  the  National  Institute  of  Meteorology  and  Hydrology 
(INAMHI)230,  (4)  the  National  Institute  of  Cultural  Heritage  (INPC)231,  (5)  the  National 
Institute  of  Agricultural  Research  (INIAP)232,  (6)  the  Public  Institute  of  Aquaculture  and 
Fisheries Research (IPIAP)233, (7) the National Institute of Biodiversity (INABIO)234 and (8) 
the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC)235. 

The  Ecuadorian  Corporation  for  the  Development  of  Research  and  the  Academy 
(CEDIA)236 is a private non-profit entity, created in 2002 as a consortium of universities and 
R&D&I institutions and which became a corporation in 2021. It is an umbrella organisation 
for  research  organisations,  and  it  supports  SENESCYT  in  its  task  of  implementing 
Ecuadorian STI policies. Its objective is to promote the exploration and results of innovative 
projects  that  link  Ecuadorian  institutions.  To  this  end,  they  link  researchers,  teachers  and 
students  through  projects,  competitions  and  scientific  development  initiatives  and  offer IT-
related services. CEDIA currently has 64 member institutions, including not only universities 
and research institutes but also polytechnics and colleges. 

Research Assessment  

SENESCYT  is  the  institutions  responsible  for  evaluating  scientific  performance  through  a 
system  of  accreditation  of  research  staff237  and  of  innovation  spaces  and  agents238.  The 
individual accreditation is a necessary requirement for entry to a research career in public 
institutions  that  are  not  part  of  the  higher  education  system  and  for  access  to  specific 
benefits  and  incentives.  This  applies  to  both  national  and  foreign  researchers  performing 
their  activities  in  Ecuador.  Three  parameters  are  applied  to  measure  the  fulfilment  of 
requirements  and  to  assess  international  quality  standards  and  criteria:  academic 
background,  publications  and  research  experience.  Certification  lasts  five  years  and  is 
renewable for equivalent periods.  

The Higher Education Quality Assurance Council (CACES)239 is a public technical body, 
with its own legal status and assets, whose task is to ensure the quality of higher education 
through the evaluation and accreditation of higher education institutions and their education 
programmes.  

228 See https://www.investigacionsalud.gob.ec/  
229 See https://www.geoenergia.gob.ec/  
230 See https://www.inamhi.gob.ec/  
231 See https://www.patrimoniocultural.gob.ec/  
232 See https://www.iniap.gob.ec/  
233 See https://www.gob.ec/ipiap  
234 See http://inabio.biodiversidad.gob.ec/  
235 See https://www.ecuadorencifras.gob.ec  
236 See https://www.cedia.edu.ec/  
237 See https://www.gob.ec/senescyt/tramites/registro-personas-naturales-relacionadas-investigacion-desarrollo-
tecnologico 
238 See https://www.gob.ec/senescyt/tramites/acreditacion-espacios-agentes-innovacion 
239 See https://www.caces.gob.ec/   

71 

 
 
 
 
  Open access policy and legal framework 

Ecuador  does  not  currently  have  a  national  open  access  policy  as  such,  although  it  has 
some important initiatives in this area. 

Article  4  (1)  of  the  Organic  Code  of  the  Knowledge,  Creativity  and  Innovation  Social 
Economy provides that knowledge is a public good to which access shall be free, with no 
restrictions other than those established in this Code, the Constitution, international treaties 
and the Law and its distribution shall be fair, equitable and democratic. It also specifies that 
the  information  and  content  of  databases  resulting  from  publicly  funded  research  will  be 
open  access.  The  institutions  or  bodies  responsible  for  such  research  shall  make  the 
information available through information technology. 

For  its  part,  the  preliminary  document  of  the  Plan  for  Science,  Technology,  Innovation 
and  Ancestral  Knowledge  (CTiySA)  contains  a  specific  section  on  open  science  which 
includes  the  initiatives  undertaken  in  this  field.  These  include  the  development  of 
regulations  to  promote  the  generation  of  institutional  open  access  policies  and  the 
publication of publicly funded open access research papers in higher education institutions. 
These  actions  have  been  complemented  by  actions  to  promote  open  access  institutional 
repositories. 

Regarding  research  data,  in  2019  the  Ministry  of  Telecommunications  (Mintel)  issued  its 
Open  Data  Policy240  that  aims  to  consolidate  the  organisation  and  publication  of  data 
generated in public institutions to ensure that all output from state-funded R&D&I activities 
is freely transferred and used.  

  Open access digital platforms 

Repositories  

In recent years, Ecuador has launched several national initiatives to enhance open access 
institutional repositories, including the creation of a network of Digital Repositories.  

The  Open  Access  Repository  Network  of  Ecuador  (RRAE)241  is  Ecuador's  national 
aggregator whose objective is to facilitate the management, decentralisation, organisation, 
preservation  and  interoperability  of  open  access  digital  content  generated  in  higher 
education  institutions.  The  RRAAE  is  managed  by  CEDIA  and  offers  its  members  and 
member  institutions  regular  harvesting  of  the  metadata  records  of  the  repositories, 
validation of the quality of the information, grouping, integration and indexing and making all 
this information available to the public through the search portal. This facilitates information 
retrieval  and  access  to  documents  in  their  original  institutional  repository.  To  join  RRAE, 
institutions  must  commit  to  the  standardisation  of  their  metadata  in  accordance  with 
international guidelines. The RRAE is the national node that is part of La Referencia and, 
as of the date of this report, has a total of 483,437 publications from 108 repositories and 
digital  academic  journals,  from  66  institutions.  Most  of  the  publications  contained  in  the 
RRAAE  are  undergraduate  dissertations  and  master's  theses  (75.6%  and  10.7% 

240 See https://regulacion.mintel.gob.ec/datos-abiertos/  
241 See https://rraae.cedia.edu.ec/  

72 

 
 
 
respectively).  Other  publication  types  collected  are  scientific  articles,  books  and  doctoral 
theses.  

The  Ecuadorian  Digital  Library242  is  a  platform  of  services  offered  by  the  Consortium  of 
University Libraries of Ecuador243, through which institutions obtain support and advice for 
the creation of open access repositories, training in all the bibliographical tools available on 
the  market,  the  creation  of  scientific  academic  journals  and  academic  publishing,  library 
automation and web design. The Library also acts as a repository that collects and stores 
the research work conducted in the different academic institutions in Ecuador. It offers open 
access to more than 200,000 full-text records of research papers, bachelor's and master's 
theses  and  teaching  material  from  different  Ecuadorian  universities,  as  well  as  the  INIAP 
Library, SENESCYT, the National Library, the Ombudsman's Office, the Central Bank and 
the Public Defender's Office.  

Academic Journals  

Support for academic journals in Ecuador is provided through the centralised management 
of  the  ISSN  and  the  implementation  of  the  SciELO-Ecuador  collection.  Both  services  are 
provided centrally by SENESCYT.  

SciELO Ecuador244 is the first initiative in the country for the dissemination of open access 
scientific  academic  journals  online.  Its  objective  is  to  increase  the  quality,  access  and 
national  and  international  visibility  of  Ecuadorian  scientific  publications  through  their 
comprehensive  presentation  on  the  web.  In  2015,  SENESCYT  was  designated  as  the 
national  coordinating  institution  of  the  SciELO-Ecuador  collection.  The  collection  includes 
scholarly  journals  from  all  areas  of  knowledge  that  predominantly  publish  original  articles 
produced  by  scientific  research  and  other  original  contributions  of  significance  to  the 
specific area of the journal. The SciELO-Ecuador evaluation criteria245 are adopted as part 
of the regional SciELO initiative and comprise an evaluation of the format and content of the 
journal. 

Ecuadorian  academic  journals  are  present  in  Latindex,  with  247  academic  journals  in 
catalogue  2.0,  in  SciELO  Ecuador,  with  29  indexed  titles,  in  Redalyc,  where  a  total  of  27 
academic journals are indexed and in DOAJ, with 87 titles. 

Table 8. Number of Ecuadorian academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0),SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO Ecuador 

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No. of academic 
journals 

247 

29 

27 

87 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. Access date: 
December 2022. 

242 See https://www.bibliotecasdelecuador.com/  
243 See https://www.bibliotecasdelecuador.com/  
244 See http://scielo.senescyt.gob.ec/  
245 See https://www.educacionsuperior.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2019/02/GUIA-POLITICAS-
CRITERIOS-DE-EVALUACION-DE-REVISTAS-PARA-INCLUSION-PERMANENCIA-EN-COLECCION-SCIELO-
VersiOn-2019  

73 

 
 
 
 
 
Curriculum management systems 

Ecuador  has  a  comprehensive  scientific  information  management  system  named  the 
Ecuadorian  Researchers'  Repository  (REDI)246.  This  is  a  service  managed  by  CEDIA 
whose  main  objective  is  to  compile  all  the  curricular  information,  scientific  and  academic 
output  of  research  personnel  in  Ecuador.  REDI  adds  academic  merits  such  as  theses, 
publications,  projects,  patents,  or research  datasets  to  the  curricular profiles  and  enriches 
them  with  different  sources.  All  this  information  is  processed,  validated,  integrated  and 
stored  in  a  common  curriculum  model.  The  tool  generates  statistics  and  graphical  views 
showing  research  trends  and  collaboration  patterns.  It  also  has  a  researcher  profile 
section247 where the most relevant information is compiled, with an option to explore REDI 
to search for researchers with common scientific interests.  

246 See https://redi.cedia.edu.ec/  
247 See https://redi.cedia.edu.ec/#/total/authors/q=familyname:A*&fl=*&rows=10&wt=json&sort=familyname+asc  

74 

 
 
 
 
  9. El Salvador 

9.  EL SALVADOR 

0.16% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

0.33% 
Research 
staff/EAP in (0/00)* 

9 
Institutional 
repositories 

4 
Open access 
journals  

National OA 
policy

National repository 
aggregator

OA legal 
framework 

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Source: see the Policies of the Digital Repository of Science and Culture of El Salvador (REDICCES) (REDICCES) y the Open 
Access Policy of the Consortium of University Libraries (Consorcio de Bibliotecas Universitarias). 
Data: Compiled by author based on RICyT, LA Referencia, OpenDOAR and DOAJ. 
Note: For R&D expenditure data referring to 2020 and for Research staff 2019. No. of researchers per thousand of labour force 
(0/00). 

The institutional and governance 
framework of the science, technology and 
innovation system of the Republic of El 
Salvador is set out in Decree 234/2013 
establishing the Law on Scientific and 
Technological Development. 

El Salvador does not have a national 
open access policy, although it does 
have institutional policies within the 
university sector. 

The open access policy of Salvadoran universities has relied on deposit in  open access repositories 
as  an  implementation  mechanism,  with  copyright  assignment  agreements  taking  precedence  over 
embargo  periods.  El  Salvador  has  promoted  open  access  repositories  through  the  Consortium  of 
University  Libraries  of  El  Salvador  (CBUES),  responsible  for  the  Science  and  Culture  Digital 
Laboratory  of  El  Salvador  (REDICCES),  and  the  national  aggregator  of  open  access  repositories, 
ACCES. Journals have not been supported by the public authorities. 

is 

of 

to 

the 

Science 

It  reports 

ACCES 
national 
aggregator  of  open  access 
repositories. 
the 
Ministry  of  Education,  the  Vice-
and 
Ministry 
Its 
Technology  and  CBUES. 
promote 
purpose 
to 
is 
collaborative  work 
between 
universities and research centres 
disseminate, 
to 
preserve  and  give  visibility  to 
their national scientific, academic 
and documentary output. 

integrate, 

REDICCES is the central repository 
of El Salvador, created by CBUES, 
which  gathers  a  large  part  of  the 
scientific  production  generated  in 
the country, in order to enhance its 
visibility,  and  increase  its  use  and 
the  scientific  and 
impact  on 
academic  community,  ensuring  its 
access and long-term preservation. 

75 

The  Salvadoran  Researchers’ 
Network  (REDISAL),  under  the 
contains  a 
new  CONACYT, 
register of 1,000 researchers. This 
service  facilitates  the  creation  of 
networks  of  researchers  in  order 
to create the necessary research-
to 
friendly  environment  and 
stimulate 
work 
between researchers. 

cooperative 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Institutional framework 

Governance 

The  institutional  and  governance  framework  of  the  science,  technology  and  innovation 
system of the Republic of El Salvador is set out in Decree 234/2013 establishing the Law 
on Scientific and Technological Development248.  

The  Ministry  of  Education,  Science  and  Technology  (MINED)249, 
the 
Department  of  Innovation,  is  the  government  body  that  manages  the  production  of  the 
National  Policy  for  Scientific  and  Technological  Development  and  promotes  research  and 
innovative  activity  at  national  level.  It  does  so  through  the  Digital  Agenda  (2020-2030)250 
which  presents  a  package  of  actions  to  integrate  all  actors  involved  in  the  country's 
development through innovation and the application of ICTs. 

through 

The  Law  created  the  new  National  Council  of  Science  and  Technology  (CONACyT)251 
as  a  decentralised  unit  of  MINED,  reporting  directly  to  the  Vice-Ministry  of  Science  and 
Technology,  whose  role  is  to  be  the  state  body  that  implements  and  delivers  national  STI 
policies. Its activity is under the remit of the National Innovation, Science and Technology 
Policy  and  the  National  Science  and  Technology  Plan.  The  specific  functions  of  the  new 
CONACyT  are:  (1)  to  encourage  the  training  of  qualified  human  resources  and  research 
personnel  for  transformation  and  development;  (2)  to  coordinate,  organise  and  direct  the 
National Observatory of Science and Technology; (3) to coordinate the bodies that make up 
the  National  System  of  Innovation,  Science  and  Technology;  (4)  to  develop  activities  that 
mainstream science and technology.  

The Observatory of Science and Technology (ONICT)252 aims to be the national body in 
El  Salvador  that  produces  and  disseminates  statistics  and  indicators  on  science  and 
technology and the studies conducted by the various institutions of the national STI system. 
To  this  end,  it  designs  science  and  technology  indicators,  collects,  systematises  and 
analyses  the  information  needed  a  basis  for  public  decision-making,  identifies  causal 
relationships  and  conducts  prospective  studies  to  apply  knowledge  of  science  and 
technology to activities established as priorities for the benefit of society. 

At  the  end  of  2021,  MINED  launched  the  National  Higher  Education  Research  Board 
(MNIES),  253whose  function  is  to  coordinate  the  production  and  dissemination  of  scientific 
knowledge results of higher education and to improve research rates in El Salvador. 

The  National  Innovation,  Science  and  Technology  Policy254  aims  to  promote  and 
coordinate  scientific  and  technological  research  in  order  to  contribute  to  sustainable 
development and social welfare. It was published in May 2018 and describes the context of 
this  field  of  public  action,  the  guidelines  that  will  drive  action  to  promote  research  activity, 
the  legal  framework,  the  vision  and  the  principles  on  which  they  are  based.  In  addition,  it 
establishes  5  specific  objectives:  (1)  generate  public  assets  and  strengthen  the  enabling 

248 See https://siteal.iiep.unesco.org/sites/default/files/sit_accion_files/10032.pdf  
249 See https://www.mined.gob.sv/  
250 See https://www.innovacion.gob.sv/  
251 See https://www.conacyt.gob.sv/  
252 See https://www.conacyt.gob.sv/?page_id=3221  
253 See https://www.mined.gob.sv/2021/12/13/mined-lanza-mesa-nacional-de-investigacion-en-educacion-
superior/  
254 See https://www.transparencia.gob.sv/institutions/capres/documents/372512/download  

76 

 
 
environment  for R&D&I;  (2)  strengthen  scientific  research,  technological  development  and 
pre-competitive  innovation;  (3)  support  business  innovation  to  increase  productivity  and 
innovative 
competitiveness  with  an  emphasis  on  priority  sectors; 
the  adoption  of 
entrepreneurship;  and  (5)  disseminate,  promote  and  encourage 
technologies  and  absorption  through  R&D&I  in  Salvadoran  society.  These  objectives  are 
accompanied by a total of 44 implementing strategies.  

(4)  stimulate 

The  National  Innovation,  Science  and  Technology  Policy  includes  instruments  for 
governance  in  STI-related  issues,  such  as  the  Interministerial  Committee  for  Science, 
Technology  and  Innovation,  the  STI  Coordination  Committee  and  the  Advisory  Council  of 
the Interministerial Committee.  

Research Funding  

The new CONACyT is the public funding body for Science, Technology and Innovation in 
El  Salvador.  These  grants  are  supported  by  the  public  budget  allocated  to  MINED,  in 
accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  Incentives  for  Scientific  and  Technological 
the  Law  on  Scientific  and  Technological  Development. 
Development  Chapter  of 
Furthermore,  the  National  Innovation,  Science  and  Technology  Policy  establishes  that 
funds  to  finance  STI  activities  may  come  from  co-financing  schemes,  competitive  funds, 
international  cooperation  funds  and  corporate  funds.  The  role  of  multilateral  and  bilateral 
international  research  funding  agencies  is  considered  of  key  importance  in  El  Salvador's 
national STI policy, given the country’s limited budgetary capacity.  

The new CONACyT's calls are set out in a National Science and Technology Plan and are 
of  two  types.  First,  the  grants  programme  seeks  to  strengthen  the  capacities  of  national 
human  resources  through  master's  and  doctoral  training,  both  in  national  and  foreign 
institutions.  Secondly,  there are  specific  calls  aimed  at  encouraging  and  funding  scientific 
research  by  universities  (public  and  private),  research  centres  and  companies.  Within  the 
latter group, grants from the Higher Education Research Fund (FIES)255 promote research 
projects  in  areas  of  interest  to  El  Salvador  (health,  energy,  food  security  and  the 
environment) conducted by two or more Salvadoran R&D&I institutions, which must include 
a company. 

Moreover,  MNIES  provides  funding  for  Salvadoran  research  personnel  through  public, 
private and cooperation funds.   

Research Performing   

The  bodies  that  carry  out  scientific  research  activities  in  El  Salvador  are  universities, 
research institutes, the government and public and private companies. 

The university sector consists of the University of El Salvador, the only public university in 
the country and 23 private universities.  

The  research  institutes  are  focused  on  sectoral  areas.  These  funds  are  the  National 
Agricultural and Forestry Technology Centre (CENTA)256 the National Centre for Research 
in Social Sciences and Humanities (CENICSH), the National Centre for Scientific Research 

255 See https://www.mined.gob.sv/descarga/instructivo-FIES-2017.pdf  
256 See www.centa.gob.sv  

77 

 
 
of  El  Salvador  (CICES)257  the  National  Institute  of  Health  of  El  Salvador  (INS),258  and  the 
Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES)259 

According  to  data  published  by  RICyT260,  universities  and  research  institutes  are 
responsible for the largest share of R&D expenditure (40.2%), while government and public 
and private companies account for 29.9% and 29.8% of expenditure respectively.  

Research Assessment  

The  new  CONACyT  is  the  body  that  monitors,  evaluates  and  delivers  the  National 
Innovation, Science and Technology Policy, the National Science and Technology Plan and 
the  actions  necessary  to  contribute  to  the  coordination  of  the  organisations  that  make  up 
the  National  STI  System.  Likewise,  the  recently  launched  MNIES  is  working  on  the 
production  of  a  national  proposal  for  the  evaluation  of  scientific  merit  for  Salvadoran 
research  personnel  through  a  national  incentive  policy,  which  is  referred  to  in  the 
Research,  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  Policy  of  the  University  of  El 
Salvador261.  

  Open access policy and legal framework 

El  Salvador  does  not  have  a  national  open  access  policy,  although  there  are  institutional 
policies that encourage publication in open access repositories.  

At  national  level,  both  the  Law  on  Scientific  and  Technological  Development  and  the 
National  Innovation,  Science  and  Technology  Policy  omit  any  reference  to  open  access. 
This absence of a national policy contrasts with initiatives launched in recent years in areas 
related  to  open  access,  such  as  the  National  Policy  for  the  Advancement  of  Science 
and  Technology,  which  aims  to  disseminate  science  at  all  levels  of  society,  or  the 
National  Digital  Agenda  2020-2030262,  comprising  a  set  of  actions  that  seek  to  integrate 
all  actors  involved  in  the  country's  development  through  innovation  and  the  application  of 
ICTs.  One  of  the  priorities  of  the  National  Digital  Agenda  is  innovation,  education  and 
competitiveness.  This  priority  seeks  to  boost  technology  education,  competitiveness  and 
access  to  broadband  services.  Through  the  National  Digital  Agenda,  El  Salvador  is 
developing  a  Research,  Development  and  Innovation  (R&D&I)  Strategy263,  which  is 
expected to include some specific reference to open access to scientific content.  

At  the  institutional  level,  the  Consortium  of  University  Libraries  of  El  Salvador 
(CBUES)264 was created in 2011 to manage the pooled purchase of digital resources and 
move  towards  a  collaborative  provision  of  library  services  in  the  digital  environment, 
through  the  joint  provision  of  bibliographical  databases, collections  of  electronic  academic 
journals, full text reference works, collections of historical documents or literary classics in 

257 See http://www.cienciaytecnologia.edu.sv/  
258 See http://ins.salud.gob.sv/  
259 See https://fusades.org/  
260 See http://www.ricyt.org/category/indicadores/  
261 See https://sic.ues.edu.sv/storage/app/media/ultimopoliticasdeinvestigacionencienciaytecnologiauescsu.pdf  
262 See https://www.innovacion.gob.sv/  
263 See https://www.innovacion.gob.sv/innovacion.php  
264 See http://www.cbues.org.sv/  

78 

 
 
 
electronic  format,  etc.  A  total  of  13  institutions  belong  to  this  consortium:  10  universities, 
including the University of El Salvador, 2 Colleges and the National Library.  

CBUES  has  an  open  access  policy265  in  which  it  recommends  that  member  institutions 
develop  their  own  terms  of  reference  clearly  specifying  the  institutional  position  and 
establishing the necessary measures for members of their academic community to deposit 
their  documents  in  an  open  access  repository.  To  this  end,  they  offer  technical  support 
through  advice  on  how  to  develop  such  policies  and  technological  support  through  the 
national REDICCES repository. 

Within  the  university  sector,  there  are  3  universities  with  active  open  access  policies: 
Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas266, Universidad Tecnológica de El 
Salvador267 and Universidad Francisco Gavidia268. They all require, to a greater or lesser 
extent, the deposit of research results in open access repositories, respecting the editorial 
embargo periods in force. There are also 4 universities that actively publish in open access 
despite  not  having  an  institutional  mandate:  Universidad  de  El  Salvador, Universidad  Don 
Bosco, Universidad Evangélica de El Salvador and Universidad Católica de El Salvador. 

El Salvador is an active member of CTCAP and its political and technical institutions work 
actively  in  the  coordinated  development  and  implementation  of  actions  in  favour  of  open 
access. 

  Open access digital platforms  

Repositories 

In  2012,  the  CBUES  created  the  Digital  Repository  of  Science  and  Culture  of  El 
Salvador (REDICCES)269 and  made it available to all research staff and higher education 
institutions,  universities  and  research  centres.  REDICCES  is  El  Salvador's  central 
repository that brings together all the scientific output generated in the country. Its aim is to 
enhance its visibility, increase its use and impact on the scientific and academic community 
and  ensure  its  long-term  access  and  preservation.  REDICCES  has  a  robust  policy  on 
repository, content access, long-term digital preservation, metadata and services270.  

In addition, there is a total of 7 universities have an open access institutional repository.  

In  2018,  the  Ministry  of  Education,  the  Vice-Ministry  of  Science  and  Technology  and  the 
CBUES launched the national Access to Science and Culture of El Salvador (ACCES)271 
repository  aggregator  for  which  they  received  technical  support  from  LA  Referencia.  The 
main  objective  of  ACCES  is  to  centralise,  preserve  and  promote  the  academic,  historical 
and  scientific  production  of  El  Salvador  in  open  access.  It  aims  to  facilitate  online  access 
and  give  greater  visibility  to  the  academic,  scientific  and  documentary  output  of  in  El 
Salvador in the different higher education institutions, research centres and other relevant 

265 See http://www.redicces.org.sv/jspui/handle/10972/1762  
266 See http://repositorio.uca.edu.sv/jspui/L_acc.pdf  
267 See https://biblioteca2.utec.edu.sv/entorno/index.php/entorno/acceso_abieto  
268 See https://ri.ufg.edu.sv/jspui/AccesoAbiertoUFG.pdf  
269 See http://www.redicces.org.sv/jspui/  
270 See http://www.redicces.org.sv/jspui/handle/10972/1761  
271 See http://www.acces.org.sv/vufind/  

79 

 
 
 
bodies in the country, such as government institutions and non-governmental organisations 
that contribute to the country's scientific and technological development272. It has a total of 8 
resources  that,  ranked  in  order  of  the  number  of  publications  they  contribute,  are:  the 
University  of  El  Salvador,  the  Consortium  of  University  Libraries  of  El  Salvador273,  the 
Universidad  Centroamericana  José  Simeón  Cañas,  the  Universidad  Don  Bosco,  the 
Universidad  Tecnológica  de  El  Salvador, 
the 
Universidad Evangélica de El Salvador and the Universidad Católica de El Salvador. These 
8  repositories contribute  more  than  22,000  publications in  open  access,  among  which  the 
most  important  are  degree  theses  (with  around  50%  of  the  total  number  of  publications), 
journal articles, master's theses, books and technical reports.  

the  Universidad  Francisco  Gavidia, 

ACCES is the Salvadoran node of LA Referencia. 

Academic Journals  

journals  are  published 

Few  academic 
they  are  not  very 
professionalised,  they  suffer  from  a  lack  of  financial  resources  and  have  not  received 
support  from  the  Salvadoran  government  or  institutions.  There  is  no  SciELO  node  in  El 
Salvador, nor is there a presence of Salvadoran academic journals in Redalyc. Only 5 titles 
appear in the Latindex 2.0 catalogue and 4 in DOAJ.  

in  El  Salvador,  and 

Table 9. Number of Salvadoran academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO  

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No.  of  academic 
journals 

5 

0 

0 

4 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. Access date: 
December 2022. 

Curriculum management systems 

the  new  CONACyT 

Within 
the  Network  of  Salvadoran  Researchers 
(REDISAL)274. This network facilitates the registration of national scientific researchers and 
aims  to  create  networks  of  research  personnel,  to  establish  an  environment  conducive  to 
research  and  to  encourage  cooperative  work  between  national  researchers  and  foreign 
scientists. 

there 

is 

REDISAL  has  1,000  personal  records,  classified  into  six  scientific  research  areas:  natural 
and  exact  sciences,  engineering  and  technology,  medical  sciences,  agricultural  sciences, 
social sciences and humanities. Registration in the directory is voluntary, so REDISAL does 
not contain all research personnel in El Salvador. 

272 See http://www.acces.org.sv/vufind/  
273 See http://hdl.handle.net/10972/1761  
274 See https://www.redisal.org.sv/  

80 

 
 
 
 
 
  10. Mexico 

0.30% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

10.  MEXICO 

1.16% 
Research 
staff/EAP in 
(0/00)* 

43 
Institutional 
repositories 

202 
Open access 
journals  

National OA 
policy

National repository 
aggregator

OA legal 
framework 

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Source: see Science and Technology Law, 2014 and the Technical Guidelines for National and Institutional Repositories. 
Data: Compiled by author based on RICyT, LA Referencia, OpenDOAR and DOAJ. 
Note: Data referring to 2020. No. of researchers per thousand of labour force (0/00). 

The institutional and governance framework 
of its science, technology and innovation 
system is solidly established in the Science 
and Technology Law 2020. 

Mexico has a national open access 
policy grounded in a solid legal 
framework and the role of CONACyT as 
the institution responsible for its 
implementation. 

The  Mexican  open  access  policy  points  to  repositories  as  its  basic  implementation  unit.  Likewise, 
academic  journals  have  received  significant  public  support  despite  not  being  expressly  included  in 
the  Science  Act.  In  Mexico  there  are  two  aggregators  of  open  access  repositories:  the  Mexican 
Network  of  Institutional  Repositories  (REMERI),  and  the  National  Repository  (RIACTIs).  Academic 
journals  receive  support  through  a  scientific  and  editorial  quality  certification  service  developed  by 
CONACyT. 

RIACTIs 
platform 
information 
institutional repositories.  

is  a  centralised  digital 
aggregates 
all  Mexican 

that 
from 

Network 

Mexican 

The 
of 
Institutional  Repositories  (REMERI) 
aims  to  create  a  federated  network 
of  digital  repositories  of  higher 
education institutions.  

The  Classification  System 
for 
Mexican  Science  and  Technology 
Journals  is  the  instrument  for  the 
periodic  evaluation  of  scientific 
journals  published 
in  electronic 
format in Mexico. There are a total 
journals 
of 
accredited  by 
the  CRMCYT 
system. 

268  Mexican 

81 

The  Curriculum  Vitae  Único 
(CVU - Single Curriculum Vitae) 
is  the  Mexican  platform  for  the 
curricular 
registration 
of 
research 
information  of  all 
in  or 
personnel  participating 
benefiting 
the 
CONACyT programmes.  

from  any  of 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Institutional framework 

Governance 

Mexico  is  a  federal  republic  made  up  of  32  states.  The  institutional  and  governance 
framework  of  its  science,  technology  and  innovation  system  is  set  out  in  the  Science  and 
Technology Law 2020275. 

The  General  Council  for  Scientific  Research,  Technological  Development  and 
Innovation  is  the  highest  body  responsible  for  establishing  national  policies  for  the 
advancement  of  scientific  research  and  technological  development  in  support  of  national 
development. It is a very high-level body which powers include: (1) approving and updating 
the  Special  Programme  for  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation;  (2)  defining  strategic 
areas  and  priority  programmes;  (3)  establishing  the  budget  allocated  to  the  different 
research  lines  and  institutions  of  the  national  R&D&I  system;  and  (4)  modifying  the 
institutional  framework  on  which  it  is  based  if  it  deems  it  necessary.  It  is  made  up  of  the 
President of the Republic and 20 individuals, including the director of the National  Council 
of  Science  and  Technology  (CONACyT)  as  executive  secretary,  10  secretaries  of  state 
whose portfolios have specific powers related to science and technology, the coordinator of 
the Scientific and Technological Consultative Forum, the president of the Mexican Academy 
of  Sciences,  three  representatives  of  the  productive  sector,  a  representative  of  the  Public 
Research Centres, the secretary of the National Association of Universities and Institutions 
of Higher Education276 and two representatives of the scientific or technological community. 
In addition, the federal executive may invite other individuals to attend some sessions.  

The Scientific and Technological Consultative Forum277 is the advisory and permanent 
body  of  the  Executive  Branch,  the  General  Council  for  Scientific  Research,  Technological 
Development  and  Innovation,  the  Governing  Board  of  CONACyT  and  the  Legislative 
Branch  in  STI  matters.  It  promotes  dialogue  between  the  members  of  the  National 
Research  System,  the  productive  sector  and  the  users  of  the  STI  system  with  the  aim  of 
strengthening collaborative ties. 

The  National  Council  of  Science  and  Technology  (CONACyT))278  is  the  Mexican 
government´s  institution  responsible  for  designing  and  implementing  public  policies  to 
promote  scientific  and 
technological 
modernisation  in  the  country.  Created  in  1970,  it  defines  the  national  R&D&I  strategy, 
establishes  the  priority  research  lines,  funds  research  activity  and  evaluates  the  research 
performance of institutions and scientific personnel. 

research,  development  and 

technological 

Science,  technology  and  innovation  policy  is  articulated  through  the  Special  Programme 
for Science, Technology and Innovation (PECITI)279. This document reflects the Federal 
Government's STI strategy. The PECITI 2021-2024 contains a diagnosis of the situation of 
the federal science, technology and innovation system and is written under the premise that 
the humanities, sciences, technologies, innovation processes and public and social access 
to  knowledge  are  essential  ingredients  for  improving  the  well-being  and  the  economic, 
social, political, cultural and environmental conditions of life in Mexican society. It contains 6 
priority  objectives  broken  down  into  33  priority  strategies,  further  sub-divided  into  241 

275 See https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/ref/lct.htm  
276 See http://www.anuies.mx/  
277 See https://www.foroconsultivo.org.mx  
278 See https://conacyt.mx/conacyt  
279 See https://www.siicyt.gob.mx/index.php/normatividad/nacional  

82 

 
 
specific  actions  with  specific  monitoring  indicators.  The  implementation  and  monitoring  of 
PECITI  is  the  responsibility  of  CONACyT.  The  Institutional  Programme  2020-2024  is  the 
document  in  which  CONACyT  establishes  its  objectives  and  concrete  actions  for 
developing the PECITI.  

Research Funding  

CONACyT is the body that funds research activity in Mexico. CONACyT has two units that 
manage different budget lines. 

The  Deputy  Directorate  for  Scientific  Development  (DADC)  is  the  unit  that  designs, 
organises and implements the specific research funding programmes for: (1) basic science 
and frontier research projects; (2) Strategic National Programmes (Pronaces) and National 
Research  and  Advocacy  Projects  (Pronaii)  to  address  major  national  challenges  with 
priority  attention;  (3) training  and  consolidation  of  the  national  scientific,  technological  and 
humanities  community  through  the  12  scholarship  programmes,  the  National  System  of 
Researchers  and  the  Researchers  for  Mexico  programme;  (4)  strengthening  scientific 
infrastructure such as thematic research networks and the National Laboratories Network; 
(5) promoting scientific vocations and guaranteeing universal access to knowledge. 

CONACyT's  Deputy  Directorate  for  Technological  Development,  Linkage  and 
for  coordinating  activities,  efforts, 
responsible 
Innovation 
programmes,  projects,  tools,  budget  and  public  policies  related  to  the  generation  of 
technological development and innovation.  

(DADTVI) 

the  unit 

is 

On  the  other  hand,  in  addition  to  CONACyT,  the  Ministry  of  Public  Education280  also 
promotes  the  development  of  technological  development  and  innovation  projects  through 
programmes to strengthen public higher education institutions.  

Research Performing 

The  entities  that  carry  out  scientific  research  in  Mexico  are  all  the  educational  institutions 
that  make  up  the  public  and  private  higher  education  sector  and  the  public  research 
centres.  

The  Higher  Education  System  of  the  Mexican  Government  consists  of  10  sub-systems 
under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Education (SEP)281 and receive federal and 
state  funds  for  their  operation:  Federal  Public  Universities,  State  Public  Universities, 
Technological Universities, State Public Universities with Charitable Support, Technological 
Institutes,  Polytechnic  Universities,  Intercultural  Universities,  Public  Teacher  Training 
Colleges, Public Research Centres and other public institutions282. 

The private university sector is represented by the Federation of Mexican Private Higher 
Education  Institutions  (FIMPES)283,  a  non-profit  civil  association,  founded  in  1982  and 
with  voluntary  membership,  comprising  at  the  date  of  this  report,  113  private  higher 
education institutions, which together account for 17% of the country's student enrolment284. 

280 See https://www.gob.mx/sep  
281 See https://www.gob.mx/sep  
282 See https://www.educacionsuperior.sep.gob.mx/  
283 See https://www.fimpes.org.mx/  
284 See https://www.fimpes.org.mx/index.php/home/que-es-fimpes 

83 

 
 
In  addition  to  SEP  and  FIMPES,  the  National  Association  of  Universities  and  Higher 
Education  Institutions  (ANUIES)285  has  been  one  of  the  main  non-governmental  bodies 
promoting the formulation of national programmes, plans and policies for the development 
of  higher  education  in  Mexico.  ANUIES  was  created  in  1950  and  consists  of  207 
universities  and  higher  education  institutions,  both  public  and  private,  from  all  over  the 
country286. 

Among public universities, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)287 is the 
largest  university  in  Latin  America  and  the  Caribbean,  with  369,607  students  enrolled  for 
the 2021-2022 academic year, 132 degree programmes and 42 postgraduate programmes 
and a total of six campuses.  

The System of Public Research Centres (CPI)288, is a network created in the Science and 
Technology Law of 2002 and coordinated by CONACyT. It consists of 26 multidisciplinary 
scientific, technological and innovation research institutions plus a fund for the development 
of human resources and its mission is to promote the welfare of society through knowledge. 
A  total  of  2,506  researchers  works in  the  CPI  system.  It  is,  after UNAM,  the  second  most 
important force at the national level in the generation of knowledge and training of human 
capital (Gleaves López 2022). 

CONACyT  supports  the  infrastructure  and  maintenance  of  the  CPIs  and  manages  the 
public calls through which research staff can become part of the governing bodies of these 
institutions.  Although  they  are  constituted  under  different  legal  forms  all  the  centres  are 
considered  parastate  entities  and  are  governed  by  the  Science  and  Technology  Law  in 
force  and  their  respective  founding  deeds.  Most  of  these  centres  have  created  branches 
and  sub-branches,  bringing  the  total  number  of  centres  to  98,  spread  across  most  of  the 
country.  This  has  made  the  centres  important  elements  of  regional  development  and  has 
led  to  them  being  supported  by  state  governments  to  attract  national  and  international 
investment (Gleaves Lopez 2022). The CPIs cover all fields of knowledge and, in addition 
to research, offer 230 academic programmes, including bachelor's, master's, master's and 
doctoral degrees.  

Research Assessment  

CONACyT is the body that evaluates the research performance of STI institutions and their 
research  staff.  It  uses  two  instruments  for  this  purpose:  the  System  of  Public  Research 
Centres (CPI) and the National System of Researchers (SNI).  

The National System of Researchers  289 was created in 1984 to recognise and evaluate 
the  work  of  people  dedicated  to  producing  scientific  knowledge  and  technology.  The 
evaluation  is  carried  out  by  peers  who  analyse  the  quality  and  prestige  of  scientific 
contributions:  articles,  books,  book  chapters,  dissemination  products,  extended  reports, 
reviews,  citations,  group  formation,  scientific  independence,  technological  development, 
software 
technological 

intellectual  property 

registrations, 

innovation, 

transfers, 

285 See http://www.anuies.mx/  
286 See http://www.anuies.mx/ 
287 See https://www.unam.mx/  
288 See https://centrosconacyt.mx/  
289 See https://conacyt.mx/sistema-nacional-de-investigadores/  

84 

 
 
developments  and  technological  packages.  A  total  of  35,179  researchers  throughout  the 
country are registered in the SNI register for 2020290  

The  recognition  consists  in  the  awarding  of  the  title  of  national  researcher.  This  status 
comes  with  a  specific  financial  endowment,  the  amount  of  which  depends  on  the 
qualification  obtained.  The  distinctions  conferred  by  the  SNI  are  classified  into  three 
categories:  (1)  national  researcher  candidate;  (2)  national  researcher  (level  I,  level  II  and 
level III); and (3) national researcher emeritus. 

Public  calls  to  join  or  renew  SNI  membership  are  published  annually  by  CONACyT. 
Research  personnel  working  in  a  Mexican  public  sector  STI  institution,  in  private  centres 
registered  in  the  National  Register  of  Scientific  and  Technological  Institutions  and 
Companies  (RENIECYT)  that  have  a  collaboration  agreement  with  the  SNI,  or  in  foreign 
R&D institutions may apply. 

 Open access policy and legal framework  

Mexico has an open access public policy that is anchored in a solid legal framework.  

Since  2002,  the  Constitution  of  the  United  Mexican  States291  guarantees  the  right  of 
everyone to enjoy the benefits of the development of science and technological innovation 
and  establishes  the  State's  obligation  to  support  humanities,  scientific,  technological  and 
innovation  research  and  to  guarantee  open  access  to  the  information  derived  from  it,  for 
which it must provide sufficient resources and incentives. Furthermore, Article 3 of the latest 
reform of the Constitution of the United Mexican States on May 28, 2021292 establishes that 
the  State  shall  support  scientific,  humanistic  and  technological  research  and  innovation, 
and shall guarantee open access to the information derived from it, for which it shall provide 
sufficient  resources  and  incentives,  in  accordance  with  the  bases  of  coordination,  linkage 
and participation established by the laws on the matter. 

The  new  Law  on  Science  and  Technology  and  the  Organic  Law  of  the  National 
Science  and  Technology  Council293  of  5  June  2002  include  specific  obligations  for 
CONACyT  regarding  the  implementation  of  the  National  Repository  and  the  design  of  its 
technical parameters. 

In  2014  the  Decree  Law294  was  published,  reforming  various  provisions  of  the  Law  on 
Science  and  Technology,  the  General  Law  on  Education  and  the  Organic  Law  of  the 
CONACyT.  It  adds  the  following  to  this  latter  law:  Chapter  X  on  Open  Access,  Access  to 
Scientific,  Technological  and  Innovation  Information  and  the  National  Repository  for  the 
definition  of  concepts  of  open  access,  the  creation  of  the  National  Repository  under 
CONACyT; the decree law also describes open access platforms as tools to bring scientific 
knowledge  closer  and  technology  to  society  and  it  is  established  that  researchers, 
technologists,  academics  and  master's,  doctorate  and  postdoctoral  students,  whose 
research  is  publicly  funded  or  who  have  used  public  infrastructure,  by  personal  decision 
may  deposit  or,  where  appropriate,  expressly  authorize  the  deposit  of  a  copy  of  the  final 

290 See https://conacyt.mx/sistema-nacional-de-investigadores/archivo-historico/ 
291 See https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/ref/cpeum.htm  
292 See https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/ref/cpeum.htm 
293 See www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/ref/lct/LCT_orig_05jun02.pdf  
294 See https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/ref/lct/LCT_ref08_20may14.pdf 

85 

 
 
 
version accepted for publication, in Open Access through the National Repository (..). This 
voluntary mandate has been reinforced through subsequent legal reforms. 

All  these  legal  texts  refer  to  academic  publications  when  they  talk  about  research  results 
and  none  of  them  specifically  talk  about  research  data.  However,  the  PECITI  2021-2024 
includes,  in  Priority  Objective  6,  a  total  of  5  priority  strategies  related  to  open  access 
policy  focused  on  strengthening  repositories  and  open  science  digital  infrastructures 
through 
improved 
the  establishment  of  standards,  coordination  mechanisms  and 
interoperability in which research data is directly and explicitly mentioned.  

Besides,  there  are  two  universities  that  have  an  institutional  open  access  policy: 
Universidad  National  Autonomous  University  of  México  (UNAM)295,  and  Autonomous 
University of the State of Mexico (UAMEX)296. 

 Open access digital platforms  

Repositories  

to  Scientific,  Technological  and 

Open access repositories are a central element of Mexico's federal open access policy. The 
2014  reform  Decree297  assigned  CONACyT  the  role  of  building  the  National  Repository 
for  Open  Access 
Information 
Resources298 and authorised higher education institutions and Research Centres to set up 
institutional  repositories,  which  could  be  by  scientific  and  technological  disciplines.  The 
National  Repository  is  the  centralised  digital  platform  that  aggregates  information  from 
institutional  repositories  in  which  scientific,  technological  and  innovation  information 
resources are housed, such as scientific journal articles, research data, undergraduate and 
postgraduate  theses,  research  protocols,  conference  proceedings,  etc.  without  any 
financial, legal or technical barriers other than those imposed by internet access. 

Innovation 

A  year  later,  in  2015,  CONACyT  published  the  document  Technical  Guidelines  for  the 
National  Repository  and  Institutional  Repositories299,  which  established  the  actions  to  be 
followed  for  the  preservation  not  only  of  academic  publications  but  also  of  research  data, 
the policies to regulate the security, storage, sustainability, management and preservation 
of  information  and  the  definition  of  technical  requirements  and  quality  and  interoperability 
standards.  In  the  document  Legal  Guidelines  on  Open  Science300,  published  in  2017, 
CONACyT  established  the  rules  on  intellectual  property  rights  management  applicable  to 
the integration and operation of the National Repository  and Institutional Repositories, the 
instruments of public communication of science and support for scientific publications and 
academic journals, among other instruments and policies, related to the open access policy 
(which is already beginning to be called open science).  

295 See https://www.unamenlinea.unam.mx/recurso/82924-lineamientos-generales-para-la-politica-de-acceso-
abierto-de-la-unam 
296 See http://ri.uaemex.mx/handle/20.500.11799/67004  
297 See https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/ref/lct/LCT_ref08_20may14.pdf  
298 See https://www.repositorionacionalcti.mx/ 
299 See http://conacyt.gob.mx/siicyt/images/LinTecnicosRNyRI.pdf  
300 See https://www.siicyt.gob.mx/index.php/normatividad/conacyt-normatividad/programas-vigentes-
normatividad/lineamientos/lineamientos-juridicos-de-ciencia-abierta/3828-lineamientos-juridicos-de-ciencia-
abierta/file  

86 

 
 
 
For  the  development  and  consolidation  of  open  access  institutional  repositories  and  the 
national repository and in accordance with the 2014 Decree Law, during the period 2015-
2018 CONACyT published four public calls for proposals that benefited just over 100 public 
and  private  higher  education  institutions.  The  obligations  of  the  beneficiary  institutions 
included  populating  the  National  Repository  with  scientific,  technological  and  innovation 
information resources, previously deposited in the repositories and harvested according to 
the established technical parameters. As of the date of this report, the National Repository 
aggregates 108 repositories that together hold 151,289 records. Furthermore, authors who 
do  not  have  an  institutional  repository  may  deposit  their  research  papers  directly  in  the 
National Repository. 

Institutional  repositories  are, 
Institutional Repositories (REMERI)301. 

furthermore,  aggregated  by  the  Mexican  Network  of 

The Mexican Network of Institutional Repositories (REMERI) was created in 2012 at the 
initiative  of  six  founding  institutions  with  the  aim  of  creating  a  federated  network  of 
institutional and thematic open access repositories to integrate, disseminate, preserve and 
give visibility to the country's scientific, academic and documentary production and to build 
the national node that would represent Mexico's participation in LA Referencia. The project 
was  developed  in  its  first  stage  with  research  funding  from  CONACYT  and  later  with  the 
support and backing of the University Corporation for Internet Development (CUDI)302. The 
objective  of  REMERI  is  to  integrate  a  federated  network  of  open  access  repositories  of 
Mexican Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). 

Since then, REMERI has been part of the CUDI Applications Committee and is the National 
Network  representing  Mexico  in  LA  Referencia.  Furthermore,  the  General  and  Technical 
Coordination  of  REMERI  actively  participates  in  other  national  and  international  open 
science  projects  and  collaborates  with  Redalyc  for  the  inclusion  in  its  systems  of  open 
access  scientific  articles  and  with  ANUIES  in  the  coordination  of  the  Commission  of 
Repositories and Digital Educational Resources.  

As of the date of this study, a total of 135 institutional, thematic and some data repositories 
belonging to 80 Mexican institutions have been harvested by REMERI and access to more 
than  1,000,000  documents  is  provided  through  a  common  interface  and  federated  search 
based  on  international  interoperability  standards.  Through  REMERI,  a  total  of  72 
institutional repositories with just over 170,000 records are harvested by LA Referencia.  

Mexico has 43 institutions that have registered their repositories in OpenDOAR.  

Mexican  institutional  repositories  mainly  house  undergraduate  and  postgraduate  theses, 
followed by other academic publications (books, articles, reports, conference proceedings, 
etc.),  educational  resources,  documentary  heritage  and  other  administrative  documents. 
Regarding Research Data Repositories, two of the most important are those implemented 
by  CIMMYT(International  Maize  and  Wheat  Improvement  Center)303  and  the  National 
Autonomous  University  of  Mexico  (UNAM)304  which  has  the  largest  research  dataset  in 
Mexico:  the  High  Performance  Data  and  Computing  Centre305,  located  at  the  Institute  of 

301 See http://www.remeri.org.mx/portal/index.html  
302 See https://cudi.edu.mx/acervos/presentacionescorporaci%C3%B3n-universitaria-para-el-desarrollo-de-
internet-cudi  
303 See https://data.cimmyt.org/dataverse/cimmytdatadvn 
304 See https://www.unam.mx/  
305 See https://www.c3.unam.mx/cienciasdatos.html  

87 

 
 
Nuclear Sciences (ICN)306 and in which several university institutions in the areas of physics 
and astrophysics collaborate.  

Academic Journals  

Academic  journals  are  highly  significant  in  the  Mexican  context.  CONACyT  manages  the 
Classification  System  for  Mexican  Science  and  Technology  Academic  Journals 
(Sistema de Clasificación de Revistas Mexicanas de Ciencia y Tecnología (CRMCYT 
System)307,  a  public  policy  instrument  that,  through  the  selective  registration  and  periodic 
evaluation  of  scientific  journals  published  in  electronic  format,  seeks  to  raise  their  quality, 
visibility and impact, thus promoting the dissemination and reach of science and technology 
generated in the country. 

Academic journals that wish to be evaluated apply voluntarily to the public calls for papers 
opened  by  CONACyT  (the  last  one  was  in  2019).  The  evaluation  is  based  on  six 
dimensions: (1) editorial policy and management; (2) quality of content; (3) citation level; (4) 
compliance with publication frequency; (5) accessibility; and (6) international visibility. As of 
the date of this report, there are 268 academic journals in the system. 

SciELO  Mexico308  has  been  managed  since  2004  by  the  Directorate  General  of  Libraries 
and  Digital  Information  Services  (DGBSDI)309  of  UNAM.  Its  selection  policy  includes  the 
immediate  admission  of  all  those  degrees  that  have  been  approved  by  the  CRMCYT 
System.  As  of  the  date  of  this  report,  there  are  155  current  Mexican  journals  included  in 
SciELO Mexico.  

Latindex  catalogue  2.0  includes  325  journals  and  DOAJ  indexes  a  total  of  202  Mexican 
titles. The presence of Mexican journals in Redalyc is highly significant: they contribute 257 
titles, 20.4% of the total of the LAC database.  

Table 10. Number of Mexican academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO Mexico 

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No. of journals 

325 

155 

257 

202 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. Access date: 
December 2022. 

Mexican  academic  journals  are  strong  in  number  and  organisational  capacity.  However, 
their main difficulties are to do with technical issues (the XML JATS mark-up requirements) 
and economic sustainability. Because of this, they charge Article Processing Charge (APC) 
fees,  which  means  that  they  do  not  comply  with  Redalyc  policies.  Both  issues  have  a 
negative impact on open access and the positioning of academic journals and often lead to 
their disappearance. (Babini and Rovelli 2020).  

In  addition  to  these  national  open  access  journal  indexes  and  portals,  some  higher 
education  institutions,  such  as  the  University  of  Veracruz  and  the  National  Autonomous 

306 See https://www.nucleares.unam.mx/  
307 See https://www.revistascytconacyt.mx/  
308 See http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php  
309 See https://www.dgb.unam.mx/  

88 

 
 
 
University  of  Mexico,  have  institutional  platforms  for  publication  and  open  access  to  their 
academic journals and other periodicals.  

the  National  Consortium  of  Scientific  and  Technological 

Information 
Finally, 
Resources (CONRICYT)310 is an entity created in September 2010, by CONACyT and the 
Founding  Institutions,  with  the  aim  of  facilitating  access  to  scientific  information  in  digital 
formats to the academic communities of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and research 
centres.  To  this  end,  a  budget  item  was  created  within  CONACyT's  Institutional  Fund 
(FOINS)  for  the  purchase  and  subscription  by  consortium  of  electronic  information 
resources from publishers and commercial database providers through a centralised model. 
In  addition,  operating  parameters  and  models  were  established  to  provide  R&D&I  entities 
with  access 
through  collaboration 
agreements and/or resource allocation.  

to  specific  resource  packages  and  databases 

In  2020,  CONACyT  conducted  an  analysis  of  the  use  by  beneficiary  institutions  of  the 
scientific  information  resources,  at  that  time  contracted  with  73  commercial  publishers, 
based on which it was decided to cancel access and payment for resources that were not 
being  used311.  Instead,  the  use  of  repositories,  academic  journals  and  other  open  access 
sources  is  promoted  under  a  public  science  and  technology  policy  oriented  towards  the 
general welfare of the population, recognising science as a human right.  

Curriculum management systems 

Curriculum  Vitae  Único  (CVU)  312  is  a  platform  implemented  by  CONACYT  for  the 
registration of curricular information of all natural persons participating in or benefiting from 
any  of  CONACYT's  programmes.  Having  a  CVU  is  one  of  the  first  entry  requirements  for 
opting  for  its  calls  for  proposals,  such  as  the  National  System  of  Researchers  (SNI), 
scholarships, mixed funds, etc.  

Access to the CVU Catalogue is not public - it is restricted by user accounts assigned to the 
beneficiary institutions or persons. As of the date of this report, the system has 1,238,580 
records, of which a total of 35,179 are researchers registered in the SNI.  

310 See https://www.conricyt.mx/  
311 CONACYT(2020). CONACYT Institutional Programme 2020-2024.  See https://conacyt.mx/wp-
content/uploads/conacyt/Programa_Institucional_Conacyt_2020-2024.pdf  
312 See https://conacyt.mx/servicios-en-linea/cvu-curriculum-vitae-unico/  

89 

 
 
 
  11. Panama 

0.23% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

11.  PANAMA 

0.31% 
Research 
staff/EAP in 
(0/00)* 

8 
Institutional 
repositories 

5 
Open access 
journals  

National OA 
policy

National repository 
aggregator

OA legal 
framework 

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Source: see the National Strategic Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (PENCYT) 2019–2024. 
Data:  Compiled  by  the  author  based  on  RICyT,  LA  Referencia,  the  Directorate  of  Scientific  Research  and  Development  of 
SENACYT. Note: For R&D expenditure data referring to 2020 and for Research staff 2017. No. of researchers per thousand of 
labour force (0/00). 

The STI system in Panama is regulated by 
Law 13 of 15 April 1997, which establishes 
the guidelines and instruments for the 
development of science, technology and 
innovation, and its successive 
amendments of 2005 and 2007. 

Panama does not have a national open 
access policy, although it does have 
institutional initiatives and open 
science digital platforms. 

SENACyT  is  actively  working  to  consolidate  Panama's  National  Scientific,  Technological  and 
Innovative  Knowledge  Management  System  through  the  ABC  Platform.  It  hosts  an  ecosystem  of 
digital platforms that includes the PRICILA portal, CONECTO - the curriculum harmonisation service, 
the future national research data repository, and the future national journal portal. 

The ABC platform is SENACyT's 
implementing 
instrument 
open  access  and  open  science 
initiatives. 

for 

of 

Portal 

The 
Institutional 
Repositories of Science, Technology 
and  Innovation  of  Open  Literature 
(PRICILA) is the national aggregator 
of open access repositories. It has a 
total  of  8  repositories  and  ensures 
through  a 
interoperability 
their 
metadata validation service. 

facilitates 

CONECTO is Panama's science 
and technology profiling system. 
collaborative 
It 
networks  between  scientists, 
students,  teachers  and  society 
in  general.  It  is  not  used  as  a 
curriculum  standard  for  public 
R&D calls. 

90 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Institutional framework 

Governance 

The governance of the STI system in Panama is governed by the provisions of Law 13 of 
15  April  1997313,  which  establishes  the  guidelines  and  instruments  for the  development  of 
science, technology and innovation and its successive amendments through Law 50 of 21 
December 2005314 and Law 55 of 14 December 2007315. 

This  legal  framework  created  the  Council  for  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation 
(CICYT)  as  the  highest  body  in  the  National  Science  and  Technology  System  and  the 
coordinating  body  for  all  government  entities  involved  in  the  management  of  STI  policy: 
SENACYT  and  the  ministries  whose  management  includes  a  science,  technology  and 
innovation component.  

Also  regulated  within  the  existing  legal  framework,  the  National  Secretariat  of  Science, 
Technology  and  Innovation  (SENACyT)316  is  the  national  institution  responsible  for  the 
promotion,  formulation,  implementation  and  coordination  of  STI  policies  in  Panama.  Its 
objective  is  to  strengthen,  support,  drive  and  promote  the  development  of  science, 
technology and innovation in order to raise productivity, competitiveness and modernisation 
in  the  private  sector,  the  government,  the  academic  and  research  sector  and  in  the 
population  in  general.  SENACyT  reports  to  the  Presidency  of  the  Republic,  advises  it  on 
STI matters and is Panama's representative in international organisations and science and 
technology  agreements.  Its  highest  representative  is  the  national  secretary  of  SENACYT, 
who  is  also  the  secretary  of  CICYT.  SENACyT  is  structured  in  national  sectoral 
commissions.  Its  functions  are:  (1)  prepare  the  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation 
Development  Plan,  review  it,  evaluate  it  and  coordinate  its  implementation;  (2)  stimulate, 
coordinate  and  supervise  the  implementation  of  other  actions  aimed  at  scientific  and 
technological  development  and  the  promotion  of  innovation;  (3)  stimulate  the  training  of 
high  level  and  quality  human  resources  for  research  and  development  work;  (4)  establish 
mechanisms  for  linking  science  and  technology  generating  centres  and  users;  and  (5) 
coordinate  actions  linked  to  international  programmes  in  scientific  cooperation  and 
technological development and innovation.  

In 2015, a document was published that, for the first and only time addressed the design of 
the  national  STI  policy.  The  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  Long-Term 
Policy will be in place until 2040 (SENACyT, 2015). It provides the framework for the action 
of  the  Panamanian  state  to  guide  the  development  of  science,  technology  and  innovation 
over  the  next  25  years.  The  main  objective  of  this  policy  was  to  help  address  the  major 
challenges facing Panama until 2040. The definition of this policy and its revision guided the 
preparation and implementation of the PENCYT 2015-2019. The policy is published jointly 
with the PENCYT 2019-2024. 

The science, technology and innovation policy are coordinated through the Strategic Plan 
for  Science  and  Technology  (PENCYT)317  a  document  that  develops  the  national  STI 
strategy.  Since  the  SENACYT’s  creation  a  total  of  5  strategic  plans  have  been  adopted. 
The  PENCYT  2019-2024,  the  fifth  such  instrument,  is  currently  in  force.  It  addresses  an 

313 See https://docs.panama.justia.com/federales/leyes/13-de-1997-apr-18-1997.pdf  
314 See https://docs.panama.justia.com/federales/leyes/50-de-2005-dec-23-2005.pdf  
315 See https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/25943/8096.pdf  
316 See https://www.senacyt.gob.pa/  
317 See https://www.senacyt.gob.pa/pencyt-2019-2024/  

91 

 
 
analysis of the Panamanian STI context, its main benchmarks, the strategic objectives, the 
actions needed to implement them and the funding that will be allocated to  achieve them. 
Specifically,  the  objectives  of  the  PENCYT  2019-2024  are:  (1)  the  training  of  advanced 
human  resources;  (2)  the  definition  of  priority  sectors:  agriculture,  energy,  water  and 
environment, health, logistics and maritime sector, manufacturing industry, ICT industry and 
science,  society,  economy  and  public  policies;  (3) 
the  definition  of  cross-cutting 
programmes:  Research  and 
transformation  of  Panama,  Social 
for 
Engagement  with  Science  and  Governance  of  the  National  Science,  Technology  and 
Innovation System. 

innovation 

the 

Research Funding  

The funding agency for research activity in Panama is SENACyT318. It manages public calls 
for  proposals  to  finance  STI  activities  with  the  budget  of  the  National  Fund  for  the 
Development  of  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (FONACITI).  These  calls  respond  to 
the  priorities  set  out  in  the  PENCYT  and  to  national  emergencies  not  covered  by  the 
strategic plans. 

The  funds  for  more  and  better  trained  research  personnel,  for  research  activities  and  to 
promote  innovation  are  managed  through  the  different  Directorates  in  which  SENACyT  is 
structured:  The  Directorate  of  Scientific  Research  and  Technological  Development319 
finances scientific research projects to enhance national capacity, generate knowledge and 
facilitate  technology  transfer  for  Panama's  human  development.  The  Directorate  for 
Innovation in Science and Technology Learning320 works to lay the foundations for the 
long-term  development  of  science  and  technology  by  implementing  programmes  to 
modernise science and technology learning and by encouraging children and young people 
to  develop  their  full  potential  in  STI.  The  Directorate  for  the  Development  of  Scientific 
and  Technological  Capacities321  finances  projects  for  the  development  of  Panamanian 
human capital and encourages activities related to science and technology. The Directorate 
of  Business  Innovation322  seeks  through  its  calls  for  proposals  to  strengthen  the 
competitiveness of companies in Panama by promoting their capacity for innovation. 

Research Performing  

The  entities  that  carry  out  scientific  research  activities  in  Panama  are  universities,  public 
research institutions and private institutions. 

The university sector consists of 5 public universities, including the University of Panama323. 
The  public  research  institutions  sector  consists  of  9  organisations  while  the  private 
institutions sector has 7.  

In 2021, SENACyT launched a public call for aid for the creation of regional R&D centres, 
with the aim of opening up new qualified jobs for Panamanian research personnel, including 
those working outside the country and to ensure sustainable economic development in their 
regions through knowledge generation. 

318 See https://www.senacyt.gob.pa/convocatorias-redireccion/  
319 See https://www.senacyt.gob.pa/investigacion-cientifica-y-desarrollo/  
320 See https://www.senacyt.gob.pa/aprendizaje-y-popularizacion/  
321 See https://www.senacyt.gob.pa/direccion-de-desarrollo-de-capacidades-cientificas-y-tecnologicas  
322 See https://www.senacyt.gob.pa/innovacion-empresarial/  
323 See https://www.up.ac.pa/  

92 

 
 
In  Panama,  investment  in  and  the  execution  of,  research  and  development  is  led  by  the 
state,  with  very  little  participation  by  Panamanian  companies.  Furthermore,  there  are  few 
links between academia and the productive sectors, or with social actors that could benefit 
from the knowledge generated324.  

According  to  data  published  by  RICyT325,  the  largest  R&D  expenditure  is  provided  by 
private non-profit organisations (59%), followed by the public sector (28%) and universities 
and research institutes (12%).  

Research Assessment  

The  body  that  evaluates  research  performance  in  Panama  is  SENACyT.  The  evaluation 
takes place through the National Research System (SNI)326, the instrument that evaluates 
and recognises merit and dedication in research work and technological development and 
excellence  through  incentives  that  include  both  financial  stimuli  and  distinctions,  awarded 
on the basis of the quality, production, significance and impact of research activity. 

The SNI evaluates research personnel, research groups and research centres. In addition, 
its criteria cover the various tasks or the output of scientific and technological research and 
development activities. As of the date of this report, there are 202 institutions accredited by 
the SNI. The accreditations are valid for 3 years and after this period, the beneficiaries must 
undergo the assessment again.  

 Open access policy and legal framework 

In  Panama  there  is  no  national  policy  or  legal  framework  that  regulates  open  access  to 
research  results,  although  there  are  institutional  initiatives  and  digital  infrastructures  that 
facilitate and promote it. 

The  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  Long-Term  Policy  mentions  open 
science  as  a  relevant  element  of  the  dimensions  of  change  it  addresses.  However,  no 
further  direct  reference  to  either  open  science  or  open  access  is  included  in  the  concrete 
objectives  and  specific  measures  to  achieve  them,  either  within  the  Policy  or  within  the 
PENCYT 2019-2024.  

In  2022,  due  to  the  pandemic,  both  SENACYT  and  Panamanian  STI  organisations 
highlighted  the  importance  of  collaborating  on  a  regulatory  framework  to  establish  Open 
Science initiatives, strategies, policies and programmes at national level. 

technical 

initiatives  aimed  at  developing 

There  are  currently 
technological 
infrastructures necessary for the implementation of an open access policy that will serve as 
an important starting point for a national positioning in this direction. On the one hand, the 
Access  to  Scientific  Bibliography  (ABC)  platform327  is  the  instrument  through  which  the 
SENACyT  actively  participates  in  initiatives  with  an  open  science  approach,  with  special 
emphasis  on  open  access.  SENACyT  is  developing  an  initiative  to  consolidate  the 

the 

324 See https://www.senacyt.gob.pa/planificacion-estrategica/ 
325 See http://www.ricyt.org/category/indicadores/  
326 See https://sni.senacyt.gob.pa/que-es-el-sni/  
327 See https://abc.senacyt.gob.pa/  

93 

 
 
 
National  System  of  Scientific,  Technological  and  Innovative  Knowledge  Management  of 
Panama through an ecosystem of digital platforms managed by ABC that include: PRICILA, 
the  national  aggregator  of  open  access  institutional  repositories;  the  construction  of  a 
national  repository  of  research  data;  the  portal  of  national  scientific  academic  journals; 
CONECTO  (VIVO),  the  curriculum  information  management  system;  the  negotiation  of 
national  licences  to  commercial  scientific  academic  journals  and  their  centralised  access; 
the  national  licences  for  the  acquisition  of  persistent  identifiers  and  publication  resources 
and access to research results related to COVID-19328.  

At the institutional level, there are three universities that have developed their own open 
access  policy:  Universidad  Santa  María  la  Antigua  (USMA),  Universidad  Tecnológica  de 
Panamá (UTP) and Universidad Especializada de las Américas (UDELAS). 

Panamá  is  an  active  member  of  CTCAP  and  its  political  and  technical  institutions  work 
actively  in  the  coordinated  development  and  implementation  of  actions  in  favour  of  open 
access. 

 Open access digital platforms 

Despite  not  having  a  national  open  access  policy,  Panama  has  the  necessary  digital 
platform infrastructure for the implementation of these policies, the ABC platform. Its main 
strength is open access repositories.  

Repositories   

In Panama there are 8 open access institutional repositories of STI entities (universities and 
research institutions).  

The  Portal  of  Institutional  Repositories  of  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  of 
Open Literature (PRICILA)329 is the national aggregator of open access repositories. It is a 
tool  to  promote  the  dissemination  of  Panama's  scientific  and  technological  production 
managed by SENACyT through the ABC portal. At the date of this report, it brings together 
8 institutional repositories and has more than 3,400 documents in open access330. PRICILA 
is the national node of LA Referencia. It guarantees the interoperability of the repositories it 
harvests through the validation of metadata, applying the standards set by OpenAIRE and 
applied by LA Referencia.  

Furthermore, in 2022 Panama has launched the national research data repository331. At the 
same  time,  the country  is investing  in  training librarians,  research  staff  and similar human 
resources in the skills needed to handle research data management.  

328 See https://abc.senacyt.gob.pa/ciencia-abierta/  
329 See http://pricila.senacyt.gob.pa/vufind/  
330 LA Reference data. Consulted August 2022. 
331 See https://abc.senacyt.gob.pa/ciencia-abierta/  

94 

 
 
 
 
 
Academic Journals  

Academic journals in Panama are few and weak. As of the date of this report, SENACyT is 
in  the  process  of  developing  a  national  scientific  journal  portal.  This  project,  involving 
collaboration  with  R&D&I  entities,  aims  to  improve  the  professionalisation  of  Panamanian 
national  academic  journals,  strengthen  them  and  improve  their  internationalisation  and 
indexing332.  

The  weakness  of  Panamanian  academic  journals  is  reflected  in  their  indexing  data. 
Latindex  catalogue  2.0  contains  29  Panamanian  academic  journals; 
there  is  no 
Panamanian SciELO node; Redalyc has 2 Panamanian titles, and 5 academic journals are 
indexed in DOAJ. 

Table 11. Number of Panamanian academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0),SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO 

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No. of academic 
journals 

29 

0 

2 

5 

Source:  Compiled  by  authors,  based  on  data  from  Latindex,  Redalyc  and  DOAJ.  Access  date:  December 
2022. 

Access  to  databases  of  indexed  journals,  commercial  academic  journals,  books  in  digital 
format  and  other  specialised  scientific  content  is  provided  through  national  licenses 
negotiated  and  provided  by  the  ABC  Platform  to  the  entire  scientific  and  academic 
community333.  

Curriculum management systems 

In Panama there is a system for storing and searching science and technology profiles, the 
CONECTO  (VIVO)  system334.  Managed  by  SENACyT 
the  ABC  platform, 
CONECTO  (VIVO)  facilitates  collaboration  between  scientists,  students,  teachers  and 
society  in  general  and  provides  access  to  the  scientific  trajectory  and  results  of  research 
personnel.  The  research  discovery  tool  is  also  designed  to  facilitate  and  enhance 
collaboration  between  scientists  from  all  disciplines.  Information  on  profiles  is  shown 
individually,  by  organisation  and  by  type  of  research.  It  also  includes  a  mapping  of 
capacities  at  international  level.  CONECTO  (VIVO)  is  actively  promoting  the  use  of 
persistent identifiers such as ORCIDs335 among the Panamanian research community.  

through 

However, CONECTO (VIVO) is not enabled as a curricular information management tool for 
use in bidding to public calls for research in Panama. By way of illustration, the public call 
for  the  promotion  of  R&D  (FID)  2022336  and  the  public  call  for  new  researchers  and 
innovators  2022337  mention  in  their  requirements  the  submission  of  a  curriculum  vitae  of 
research  staff  and  do  not  ask  for  the  use  of  CONECTO  (VIVO)  as  standardised  CV 
information tools.  

332 See https://abc.senacyt.gob.pa/ciencia-abierta/  
333 See https://abc.senacyt.gob.pa/  
334 See http://conecto.senacyt.gob.pa/conecto/  
335 See https://info.orcid.org/  
336 See https://www.senacyt.gob.pa/convocatoria-publica-de-fomento-a-id-fid-2022/  
337 See https://www.senacyt.gob.pa/convocatoria-publica-de-nuevos-investigadores-e-innovadores-2022/  

95 

 
 
 
 
  12. Peru 

12.  PERU 

0.17% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

0.44% 
Research staff/EAP 
in (0/00)* 

157 
Institutional 
repositories 

121 
Open access 
journals  

National OA 
policy

National repository 
aggregator

OA legal 
framework 

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Source: See the Law regulating the National Digital Repository of Science, Technology and Innovation for Open Access.   
Data: Compiled by author based on RICyT, LA Referencia, OpenDOAR and DOAJ. 
Note: Data referring to 2020. No. of researchers per thousand of labour force (0/00). 

The governance of the national STI system 
in Peru is regulated by the Framework Law 
on Science, Technology and 
Technological Innovation, No. 28.303, 
published in 2004. The National Science, 
Technology and Innovation System 
(SINACTI) was regulated in Law No. 
31.250, published in 2021. 

Peru had the first national open access 
policy in the LAC region. It is 
established in Law No. 30.035, of 2013, 
regulating the National Digital Repository 
of Science, Technology and Innovation 
for Open Access. 

The National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CONCYTEC) is the governing body of 
the  National  System  of  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (SINACTI)  which  manages,  promotes, 
coordinates,  supervises  and  evaluates  State  actions  throughout  the  country  in  the  field  of  science, 
technology and technological innovation in general and in open access in particular. 

is  managed 

Access 
and 

The National Digital Repository of 
Science, 
Open 
Innovation 
Technology 
(ALICIA), 
by 
CONCYTEC  with  the  purpose  of 
forming  an  interoperable  national 
network  of  digital  repositories, 
offering 
to 
intellectual assets in STI resulting 
from public funding. 

access 

open 

The  CTeI’s  Virtual  Library  is  an 
information  service  provided  by 
the  aim  of 
CONCYTEC,  with 
providing 
and 
academic  community  with  access 
to  the  full  texts  of  the  information 
by 
resources 
CONCYTEC. 

subscribed 

scientific 

the 

96 

CTI  Vitae  contains  self-referenced 
information  on  the  curricula  vitae 
of  people  declaring  themselves  to 
be  professionally  related  to  STI 
work in Peru. 

Research 

Information 
The 
Management System consolidates 
and manages Peru's scientific and 
academic information. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Institutional framework 

Governance  

The governance of the national STI system in Peru is regulated by the Framework Law on 
Science,  Technology  and  Technological  Innovation338  (Law  No.  28.303),  published  in 
2004. It establishes the powers, scope and resources of State action in the field of science, 
technology  and  technological  innovation  and  the  definition  and  functions  of  the  different 
agents  that  comprise  it:  the  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  System 
(SINACTI),  the  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  Council  (Concytec),  the 
National  Fund  for  Scientific,  Technological  and  Technological  Innovation  Development 
(FONDECYT), the National Network of Scientific Information and Telematic Interconnection 
and  the  National  Consultative  Council  of  Research  and  Development  for  Science, 
Technology and Technological Innovation. It also addresses the role of regional bodies, STI 
policy and plans and funding and incentives for the system.  

The  National  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  System  (SINACTI)339  was  further 
regulated in Law No. 31.250340, published in 2021. SINACTI is the functional system under 
the  Executive  Authority  that  includes  the  public  and  private  bodies  that  manage  the 
strategic  definition,  implementation  and  effective  implementation  of  public  policies  on 
science, 
innovation.  SINACTI's  priority-setting,  policymaking  and 
governance  bodies  are  the  Multisectoral  Commission  for  Science,  Technology  and 
Innovation,  the  Consultative Commission  for Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  and  the 
National Science, Technology and Innovation Council (Concytec). 

technology  and 

The  Multisectoral  Commission  for  Science,  Technology  and 
is 
responsible  for  monitoring  and  supervising  the  fulfilment  of  the  objectives  of  the  national 
STI  policy  and  for  issuing  technical  reports  that  serve  as  the  basis  for  decision-making  in 
updating  this  policy.  Its  members  are  senior  representatives  of  the  ministries  with 
competences  in  matters  related  to  research  activity342,  the  President  of  the  National 
Assembly  of  Regional  Governments  and  Concytec,  which  acts  as  the  Technical 
Administration body.  

Innovation341 

The  Consultative  Commission  on  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  advises  the 
Multisectoral Commission on STI and Concytec in identifying and proposing policy options, 
initiatives  and  interventions  for  the  development  of  science,  technology  and  innovation  in 
the country. Its members are 9 professionals of recognised prestige in science, academia, 
the private sector, civil society and the public sector. 

The organisation with senior authority in the governance of the Peruvian STI system is the 
National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation (Concytec)343. Concytec is a 
governing  body  and  technical  and  regulatory  authority  of  SINACYT  and is  attached to  the 
Presidency  of  the  Council  of  Ministers.  It  is  responsible  for  directing,  promoting, 

338 See https://transparencia.concytec.gob.pe/images/stories/ley_28303_ciencia_tecnologia.pdf  
339 See https://conocimiento.concytec.gob.pe/termino/sistema-nacional-de-ciencia-tecnologia-e-innovacion-sinacti/  
340 See https://busquedas.elperuano.pe/normaslegales/ley-del-sistema-nacional-de-ciencia-tecnologia-e-
innovacion-ley-n-31250-1968664-1/  
341 See https://busquedas.elperuano.pe/download/url/decreto-supremo-que-crea-la-comision-multisectorial-de-
cienc-decreto-supremo-n-025-2021-pcm-1928760-2  
342 Ministries: Economy and Finance; Production; Agrarian Development and Irrigation; Transport and 
Communications; Education; Health; Foreign Affairs; Environment; Energy and Mines; Defence; Foreign Trade 
and Tourism; and Development and Social Inclusion. 
343 See https://www.gob.pe/concytec  

97 

 
 
coordinating,  supervising  and  evaluating  State  action  in  STI,  guiding  the  actions  of  the 
private  sector  and  promoting  and  encouraging  its  development  through  coordinated  and 
complementary action among the members of SINACYT. Concytec has legal status under 
public law and its own scientific, administrative, economic and financial autonomy. Law No. 
28.613344 determines and regulates its aims, organisation and functions. These are: (1) to 
direct,  coordinate,  supervise  and  evaluate  SINACTI;  (2)  to  formulate  and  update  the 
National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy and submit it to the Presidency of the 
Council  of  Ministers  for  approval;  (3)  to  coordinate  its  implementation  at  sectoral  and 
territorial level; (4) to monitor and evaluate its implementation and its results and impacts; 
(5)  to  promote,  coordinate,  supervise  and  evaluate  the  actions  of  the  State  and  private 
institutions  in  the  field  of  STI;  (6)  to  manage  the  National  Science,  Technology  and 
Innovation Information Network; (7) to promote coordination and cooperation mechanisms 
among the members of SINACTI at national and international levels; (8) to issue a binding 
technical  opinion  on  matters  under  its  remit;  (9)  to  propose  the  allocation  of  available 
resources  and  the  incentives  system  in  STI  in  accordance  with  the  law;  (10)  to  design, 
arrange, implement and update the national STI registries and repositories; (11) to evaluate 
the  scientific  performance  of  the  research  staff  and  of  the  entities  engaged  in  research 
activity; (12) to supervise compliance with the legislation on STI, detect infringements and 
impose the corresponding sanctions within the scope of its remit. 

The National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (POLCTI) is the main strategic 
instrument  that  guides  SINACTI  and  establishes  public action  on science,  technology  and 
innovation  in  the  country.  As  of  the  date  of  this  report,  the  National  Policy  for  the 
Innovation  2016-2021345, 
Development  of  Science,  Technology  and  Technological 
published  by  Concytec  in  coordination  with  the  relevant  sectors,  is  in  force.  This  Policy 
addresses the rationale and importance of public action in this area, analyses the Peruvian 
situation  and  establishes  the  national  STI  policy,  the  principles  on  which  it  is  based,  the 
strategic  objectives  that  should  guide  the  actions  of  all  those  involved  and  the  concrete 
actions  to  be  implemented.  Its  strategic  objectives  are: (1) to  promote  the  generation  and 
transfer of scientific and technological knowledge, aligning research results with the needs 
of the country, which will be defined with the sectors involved; (2) to promote and develop 
new incentives that stimulate and increase STI activities by the entities of the SINACTI; (3) 
to promote the generation of duly qualified human capital for STI; (4) to improve the quality 
levels  of  research  and  technological  development  centres;  (5)  to  generate  quality 
information  on  the  performance  of  the  entities  that  make  up  the  SINACTI;  and  (6)  to 
strengthen the institutional framework for science, technology and technological innovation 
in the country. 

At  the  time  of  publication  of  this  work,  the  new  policy  is  being  worked  on  with  the 
participation  of  universities,  public  research  institutes,  regional  governments  and  other 
SINACTI members. It is expected to be approved soon. 

344 See 
https://www2.congreso.gob.pe/sicr/cendocbib/con4_uibd.nsf/A6B512C341DC0BF405257A7600598873/$FILE/4_
LEY_28613_Ley_Consejo_Nacional_Ciencia_TECNOLOG%C3%8DA_INNOVACI%C3%93N_CONCYTEC.pdf  
345 See https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/1427444/politica-nacional-cti.pdf.pdf  

98 

 
 
 
 
Research Funding  

The  National  Programme 
for  Scientific  Research  and  Advanced  Studies 
(PROCIENCIA)346  is  the  instrument,  managed  by  Concytec,  which  collects,  manages, 
administers  and  channels  national  and  foreign  resources  to  finance  SINACYT's  research 
activity. PROCIENCIA  replaces  the  former National  Fund  for Scientific,  Technological  and 
Technological  Innovation  Development  (FONDECYT)  and  finances  the  implementation  of 
national  and  regional  STI  programmes  for  scientific  research,  innovation  and  technology 
transfer, scholarships, mobility programmes and scientific events. Its objectives are: (1) to 
consolidate  a  critical  mass  of  STI  actors  and  actions;  (2)  to  position  Peru's  research 
community among the main world benchmarks; and (3) position itself as a strategic partner 
at  international  level.  Its  resources  come  from  the  public  budgets  of  the  national  and 
regional governments, the public and private institutions of SINACYT, the Peru-IDB science 
and technology programme and funds from international cooperation.  

for  Technological  Development  and 

The  National  Programme 
Innovation 
(PROINNOVATE)347 co-finances business innovation projects, strengthening of ecosystem 
for 
and 
institutions, 
internationalisation. To this end, it has at its disposal budget allocations from the FINCyT 3 
fund,  the  Research  and  Development  Fund  for  Competitiveness  (FIDECOM),  the 
Framework Fund for Innovation, Science and Technology (FOMITEC) and the MSME Fund. 

entrepreneurship 

development 

productive 

support 

and 

Research Performing  

Law No. 31.250 establishes the entities conducting STI activity in Peru: (1) Universities; (2) 
companies;  (3)  public  research  institutes;  (4)  Centres  of  Productive  Innovation  and 
Technology  Transfer;  (5)  regional  consortia;  (6)  all  institutions,  natural  or  legal  persons 
engaged in science, technology and innovation activities. 

Universities  are  the  entities  that  carry  out  and  develop  the  most  scientific  research 
activities. In Peru there are 33 public universities, including the National University of San 
Marcos  (UNMSM)348,  the  National  University  of  Engineering  (UNI)349  and  the  National 
University of San Agustín de Arequipa (UNSA)350, which are those that carry out the most 
R&D activity. In addition, there are 44 private universities, including the Cayetano Heredia 
University (UPCH)351 and the Pontificia Catholic University of Peru (PUCP)352 353. 

The  public  research  institutes  are  scientific  research  and  technological  development 
entities under the ministries within their sphere of competence and regulated by law. They 
are  identified,  authorised  and  coordinated  by  Concytec,  which  also  evaluates  their 
their  continuous 
performance  and 
improvement.    These  are:  the  National  Institute  for  Agrarian  Innovation  (INIA)354,  of  the 
Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation355; the National Commission for Aerospace 

issue  recommendations 

is  empowered 

for 

to 

346 See https://prociencia.gob.pe  
347 See https://www.proinnovate.gob.pe/  
348 See https://unmsm.edu.pe/  
349 See https://www.uni.edu.pe/  
350 See https://www.unsa.edu.pe/  
351 See https://www.cayetano.edu.pe/cayetano/es/  
352 See https://www.pucp.edu.pe/  
353 See https://www.gob.pe/institucion/sunedu/informes-publicaciones/2824150-iii-informe-bienal-sobre-la-
realidad-universitaria-en-el-peru  
354 See https://www.gob.pe/inia  
355 See https://www.gob.pe/midagri  

99 

 
 
Research and Development (CONIDA)356 and the National Geographical Institute (IGN)357, 
both of the Ministry of Defence358; the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP)359, the Peruvian 
Amazon  Research  Institute  (IIAP)360,  the  National  Institute  for  Research  on  Glaciers  and 
Mountain  Ecosystems  (INAIGEM)361  and  the  National  Service  of  Meteorology  and 
Hydrology of Peru (SENAMHI)362, of the Ministry of Environment363; the Peruvian Institute of 
Nuclear  Energy  (IPEN)364  and 
Institute 
(INGEMMET)365,  both  of  the  Ministry  of  Energy  and  Mines366;the  Peruvian  Institute  of  the 
Sea  (IMARPE)367  and  the  Technological  Institute  of  Production  (ITP)368,  of  the  Ministry  of 
Production369;  the  National  Institute  of  Health  (INS)370,  of  the  Ministry  of  Health371,  the 
National Institute of Telecommunications Research and Training (INICTEL)372. 

the  Geological,  Mining  and  Metallurgical 

The  Regional  Consortia  for  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (CRCTI)  are 
partnerships formed by SINACTI institutions from one or more regions for joint action such 
as: (1) development of science, technology and innovation (STI) programmes; (2) equipping 
laboratories;  (3)  provision  of  scientific  and  technological services;  (4) training  of  high-level 
researchers; (5) creation and implementation of science and technology parks; (6) scientific 
communication  and  scientific  dissemination  activities;  (7)  other  activities  linked  to  the 
creation  and  consolidation  of  capacities  for  the  generation  of  scientific  knowledge, 
development  of  technologies  and  their  incorporation  into  productive  and  service  activities 
through innovation. 

The  business  sector,  both  public  and  private,  also  conducts  research  and  development 
activities,  although  to  a  lesser  extent  than  other  entities.  Private  institutions  include  the 
Industrial  Development  Centre  of  the  National  Society  of  Industries373,  the  municipal 
business promotion units, the Centre for Services and Technology Transfer of the Pontificia 
Catholic  University  of  Peru374  and  the  UNITEC  centre  of  the  National  University  of 
Engineering375. 

356 See https://www.gob.pe/conida  
357 See https://www.gob.pe/ign  
358 See https://www.gob.pe/mindef  
359 See https://www.gob.pe/igp  
360 See https://www.gob.pe/iiap  
361 See https://www.gob.pe/inaigem  
362 See https://www.gob.pe/senamhi  
363 See https://www.gob.pe/minam  
364 See https://www.gob.pe/ipen  
365 See https://www.gob.pe/ingemmet  
366 Ver en https://www.gob.pe/minem  
367 Ver en https://www.gob.pe/imarpe  
368 Ver en https://www.gob.pe/itp  
369 Ver en https://www.gob.pe/produce  
370 Ver en https://web.ins.gob.pe/  
371 Ver en https://web.ins.gob.pe/es  
372 Ver en https://www.inictel-uni.edu.pe/  
373 See https://www.cdi.org.pe/  
374 See https://www.pucp.edu.pe/cite-materiales/transferencia-tecnologica/  
375 See https://www.gob.pe/institucion/concytec/informes-publicaciones/1326952-plan-nacional-estrategico-de-
ciencia-tecnologia-e-innovacion-para-la-competitividad-y-el-desarrollo-humano-2006-2021  

100 

 
 
 
 
Research Assessment  

The  body  that  evaluates  the  scientific  performance  of  research  personnel  in  Peru  is 
Concytec,  through  the  Regulations  for  the  Qualification  and  Classification  and 
Registration  of  Researchers  of  the  National  System  of  Science,  Technology  and 
Technological Innovation (RENACYT)376. RENACYT’s functions of are: (1) to promote the 
work  of  scientific,  technological  and  social  researchers  being  conducted  within  the 
framework  of  minimum  standards  of  dedication  and  quality;  (2)  to  contribute  to  improved 
quality  and  impact  on  the  development  of  the  institutions  of  the  country's  scientific, 
technological  and  innovation  system;  (3)  to  promote  the  national  and  international 
recognition  of  those  conducting  research  in  the  country  and  of  Peruvians  who  research 
abroad;  (4)  to  encourage  the  growth  of  scientific,  technological  and  innovation  work  from 
early stages of training; (5) to generate a database providing information on researchers in 
the country; (6) to manage the registration of SINACYT researchers. RENACYT evaluates 
and hosts information on Peruvian and foreign research personnel engaged in STI activities 
in Peru, Peruvians who conduct STI activities abroad and foreigners who do not reside in 
Peru but have a commitment with a Peruvian entity to conduct STI activities in the country. 

RENACYT  classifies  research  personnel  into  eight  different  levels  based  on  the  score 
obtained  for  the  following  qualifications:  academic  degree  or  level  of  studies,  bibliometric 
indicators of scientific output, patents, teaching and supervision of theses and dissertations. 
This  evaluation  work  is  carried  out  through  a  call  for  qualification,  classification  and 
registration in RENACYT, which is permanently open to all research staff at any time of the 
year. 

 Open access policy and legal framework 

Peru  has  a  national  open  access  policy  underpinned  by  Law  No.  30.035377,  published  in 
March  2013.  This  was  the  first  national  legislation  on  open  access  and  institutional 
repositories published in a LAC region.  

This  policy  focuses  on  institutional  repositories  as  the  essential  element  for  long-term 
preservation  and  open  access  to  publicly  funded  scientific  content.  All  intellectual  output 
within the national territory; or those whose scientific output is supported, totally or partially, 
with funds or grants from the State, must enter their research results in the National Digital 
Repository of Science, Technology and Innovation of Open Access, managed by Concytec, 
or in their institutional repository. 

The  Law  establishes  the  National  Repository  as  the  platform  for  the  long-term  storage, 
maintenance  and  archiving  of  the  intellectual  assets  resulting  from  STI  production  in  the 
public, private and state-funded sectors. This includes books, publications, journal articles, 
technical-scientific  papers,  software,  processed  data  and  monitoring  statistics,  academic 
theses and the like.  This information should be freely and openly accessible, not for profit 
and  without  any  registration,  subscription  or payment  requirements  and  must  be  available 
to  read,  download,  reproduce,  distribute,  print,  search  or  link  to  full  text.  It  is  Concytec’s 
responsibility to implement, integrate, standardise, store, preserve and manage the smooth 
running  of  the  National  Repository  and  to  establish  and  adopt  strategies  and  policies  to 

376 See https://resoluciones.concytec.gob.pe/subidos/sintesis/RP-090-2021-CONCYTEC-P.pdf  
377 See https://alicia.concytec.gob.pe/normativas/  

101 

 
 
 
guarantee open access to STI output, promote its use and adoption and provide technical 
assistance to the actors that make up SINACYT.  

Up  to  68378  Peruvian  universities  and  research  centres  have  their  own  institutional  open 
access policy. This is one of the requirements for institutions to be harvested by ALICIA. 

 Open access digital platforms 

Repositories   

The National Repository is called ALICIA (Open Access to Scientific Information)379. It is 
Peru's  national  aggregator  that  centralises  all  digital  information  resulting  from  STI  output 
generated with public funds or financed by the State.  As of the date of this report, ALICIA 
currently offers access to more than 580,000 texts from 180 institutional repositories, mostly 
from Peruvian universities.  

The  regulations  of  ALICIA's  functions  were  published  in  2015  (Supreme  Decree  No.  006-
2015-PCM)380.  It  contains  a  comprehensive  glossary  of  technical  terms  related  to  open 
access and establishes the mandatory application of storage, archiving and open access to 
state-funded intellectual assets in STI. It also creates the National Network of Open Access 
Digital  Repositories  of  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (RENARE)381,  a  network  of 
institutional  repositories  of  public  sector  bodies  whose  purpose  is  to  foster  collaborative 

378 These are National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru - SENAMHI, Ministry of Education - MINEDU, 
National Forestry and Wildlife Service - SERFOR, Geophysical Institute of Peru - IGP, National Institute of 
Agrarian Innovation - INIA, Institute of Peruvian Studies - IEP, National Institute for the Defense of Competition 
and Protection of Intellectual Property - INDECOPI, Peruvian Amazon Research Institute - IIAP, National Water 
Authority - ANA, Peruvian Sea Institute - IMARPE, Catholic University Santo Toribio Mogrovejo - USAT, University 
of Sciences and Humanities - UCH, University of Sciences and Arts of Latin America - UCAL, National University 
of the Peruvian Amazon - UNAPIQUITOS, Neumann Business School S.A.C., Postgraduate School  Neumann 
Business School S.A.C., EP NEUMAN. - EP NEUMAN, Faculty of Pontifical and Civil Theology of Lima - FTPCL, 
University of Engineering and Technology - UTEC, University of Lima - ULIMA, University of San Martín de Porres 
- USMP, University of the Pacific - UP, ESAN University, Female University of the Sacred Heart - UNIFÉ, José 
Carlos Mariátegui University - UJCM, National Agrarian University of the Jungle - UNAS, National Agrarian 
University of La Molina - UNALM, National University of Cajamarca - UNC, National University of Education 
Enrique Guzmán y Valle - UNE, National University of Moquegua - UNAM, National University of Piura - UNP, 
National University of San Agustín - UNAS, National University of San Antonio Abad del Cusco - UNSAAC, 
National University of Ucayali - UNU, National University Federico Villarreal - UNFV, National University Mayor de 
San Marcos - UNMSM, National University Pedro Ruiz Gallo - UNPRG, National University Santiago Antúnez de 
Mayolo - UNASAM, Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia - UPCH, Peruvian University Los Andes - UPLA, 
Peruvian University Union - UPEU, Private University Antenor Orrego - UPAO, Private University of Tacna - UPT, 
University San Pedro - USP, University Señor de Sipan - USS, Technological University of Peru - UTP, National 
System of Evaluation, Accreditation and Certification of Educational Quality - SINEACE, Group of Analysis for 
Development - GRADE, Ministry of Culture - MINCUL, Peruvian University of Applied Sciences - UPC, Andean 
University of Cusco - UAC, Continental University - UCONTINENTAL, University Le Cordon Bleu - ULCB, 
National University José María Arguedas - UNAJMA, National University of Jaén - UNJ, National University of 
Barranca - UNAB, National University of Trujillo - UNITRU, Catholic University San Pablo - UCSP, National 
University of Juliaca - UNAJ, Technological University of the Andes - UTEA, Postgraduate School Gerens S. A.C. 
- GERENS, Environmental Evaluation and Control Agency - OEFA, National University of Callao - UNAC, Private 
University of Huancayo Franklin Roosevelt - UR, National Superior School of Dramatic Art - ENSAD, National 
University San Luis Gonzaga of Ica - UNICA, University of Piura - UDEP, National University of Tumbes - UNT, 
National University Jorge Basadre Grohmann - UNJBG, and Scientific University of the South – UCSUR. 
379 See https://alicia.concytec.gob.pe/  
380 See https://alicia.concytec.gob.pe/normativas/  
381 See https://alicia.concytec.gob.pe/renare/  

102 

 
 
 
work among its members to promote open access, use and preservation of information and 
knowledge in science, technology and innovation. 

Concytec  supports  Peruvian  STI  entities  in  the  creation  and  maintenance  of  their  open 
access  institutional  repositories,  establishes  the  minimum  quality  and  interoperability 
requirements that they must fulfil and comply with the law. 

Under  a  collaboration  agreement  established  between  Concytec  and  the  National 
Superintendence  of  University  Higher  Education  (SUNEDU),  the  National  Register  of 
Research  Work  (RENATI)  collects  theses  and  academic  work  leading  to  an  academic 
degree or professional title from ALICIA. RENATI contains institutional repositories holding 
the  degree  works  of  Peruvian  universities,  documentation  and  publications  of  universities 
that have ceased their activity, works of institutions that are implementing their institutional 
repository and publications of degrees of Peruvian research personnel obtained abroad. 

Moreover, Concytec's institutional repository382 is created to host and allow free access 
to Concytec's institutional scientific output, improve visibility and guarantee the preservation 
of  its  scientific  information.  This  repository  is  also  available  to  researchers  who  have 
nowhere to store their research results if their institution does not have its own repository.  

Concytec's  institutional  repository  allows  access  to  information  through  communities  and 
collections, such as research projects, research results (articles, books, advanced studies, 
etc.), authors, organisations and funding sources. 

Academic Journals  

In Peru there is no national policy to support national scientific academic journals, although 
ALICIA includes academic journals in institutional repositories in its validation and collection 
services. SciELO Peru383 is managed by CONCYTEC.  

Peruvian  academic  journals  have  a  significant  presence  in  Latindex,  with  192  academic 
journals in catalogue 2.0, in SciELO Peru, with 42 indexed titles and in Redalyc, with a total 
of 38 academic journals. Likewise, Peru has a total of 121 academic journals indexed in the 
International Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). 

Table 12. Number of Peruvian academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO Peru 

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No. of academic 
journals 

192 

42 

38 

121 

Source:  Compiled  by  the  authors  based  on  data  from  Latindex,  SciELO,  Redalyc  and  DOAJ.  Date  of 
consultation: December 2022. 

382 See https://repositorio.concytec.gob.pe/  
383 See http://www.scielo.org.pe/  

103 

 
 
 
 
 
Curriculum management systems 

CTI  Vitae384  is  a  tool  managed  by  Concytec  that  registers  the  self-referenced  curricular 
information of people who declare themselves to be professionally linked to the STI field in 
Peru (as of the date of this publication, 279,419 people are registered).  

CTI  Vitae  connects  with  various  sources  of  information,  allowing  information  such  as 
academic degrees to be imported from the National Superintendence of University Higher 
Education  (SUNEDU),  data  imports  from  the  National  Registry  of  Identification  and  Civil 
Status  (RENIEC)385,  scientific  publications  registered  in  ALICIA,  publications  in  WoS  and 
Scopus,  as  well  as  the  ORCID  identifier  of  research  staff.  In  addition,  the  tool  allows 
participation  in  Concytec  calls  for  proposals  through  PROCIENCIA,  access  to  the  Virtual 
Library and researcher classification through the National Registry of Science, Technology 
and Technological Innovation (Renacyt). Finally, CTI Vitae has the option of exporting the 
full or summarised curriculum information in different formats and to connect the data with 
other information sources such as ALICIA and RENACYT. 

Innovation 
The  National  Register  of  Science,  Technology  and  Technological 
(RENACYT)386  contains  the  list  of  Peruvian  research  personnel387.  As  of  the  date  of  this 
report, CTI Vitae has a total of 7,659 research personnel profiles with links to their CTI Vitae 
sheets388.  

PeruCRIS389 is the national Current Research Information System, which consolidates and 
manages  the  scientific  and  academic  information  of  Peru.  PeruCRIS  is  managed  by 
Concytec and validates the information sent by SINACTI entities. It contains five directories: 
human talent, institutions, scientific output, projects and infrastructures.  At the date of this 
report,  it  displays  validated  information  from  11,008  researchers,  196  institutions  and  687 
projects. This information can be displayed or downloaded via csv, txt, json or via an API. 

384 See https://ctivitae.concytec.gob.pe/  
385 See https://www.gob.pe/reniec  
386 See https://ctivitae.concytec.gob.pe/renacyt-ui/#/registro/investigadores  
387 See https://servicio-renacyt.concytec.gob.pe  
388 See https://ctivitae.concytec.gob.pe/renacyt-ui/#/registro/investigadores  
389 See https://perucris.pe  

104 

 
 
 
 
  13. Uruguay 

13.  URUGUAY 

0.45% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

1.78% 
Research 
staff/EAP in (0/00)* 

7 
Institutional 
repositories 

33 
Open access 
journals  
acceso abierto  

National OA 
policy

National repository 
aggregator

OA legal 
framework 

National journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Source aNII portal and timbó portal. 
Data: Compiled by author based on RICyT, LA Referencia, OpenDOAR and DOAJ. 
Note: Data referring to 2020. No. of researchers per thousand of labour force (0/00). 

Governance of the national STI system in 
Uruguay is regulated by Law No. 18.084, 
enacted in 2006. 

Uruguay does not have a national open 
access policy though the National 
Agency for Research and Innovation 
(ANII) and the UdelaR have open 
access mandates, both referred to 
publicly funded publications. 

Public digital infrastructures are in place to implement open access policies: institutional repositories, 
OA diamond journals and a national platform for curriculum data management. 

results  of 

repository  system 

SILO  is  Uruguay's  national  open 
access 
for 
science  and  technology.  Created 
by ANII in 2019, it brings together 
research  and 
the 
development  activities  collected 
by  the  open  access  repositories 
of  member 
institutions  and 
provides  data  to  regional  and 
global aggregators, thanks to the 
adoption  of  common  policies, 
standards and protocols. 

in  2015  with 

The  Uruguayan  Association  of 
Academic Journals (AURA) was set 
up  officially 
the 
presence  of  Latindex  andSciELO, 
and  with  the  support  of  ANII.  93% 
of  AURA  journals  are  published  in 
academic 
open 
institutions, 
professional 
associations or public bodies. 

access 

by 

105 

of 

data 

CVUy  is  the  national  platform  of 
curricular 
research 
personnel  that  contributes  to  the 
maintenance 
permanent 
and 
updating  of  standardised  and 
on 
validated 
Uruguay's  human  capital  in  the 
scientific 
field.  The  curricular 
information of CVUy users is used 
for 
national 
by 
academic purposes. 

information 

institutions 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Institutional framework 

Governance 

Governance  of  the  national  STI  system  in  Uruguay  is  regulated  by  Law  No.  18.084390, 
enacted in 2006.  

The  Ministry  of  Education  and  Culture  (MEC)391  is  responsible  for  promoting  and 
coordinating the science, technology and innovation policy and for putting knowledge at the 
service of national and local development. This work is carried out through the Directorate 
for Innovation, Science and Technology (DICYT)392, the body responsible for the design, 
coordination and evaluation of innovation, science and technology policies at national level.  

The  National  Council  for  Innovation,  Science  and  Technology  (CONICYT)393  is  the 
advisory  and  consultative  body  to  the  Executive  and  Legislative  powers  in  matters  of 
science,  technology  and  innovation.  It  is  made  up  of  representatives  of  the  government, 
academia and the productive sector. Its functions are: (1) to propose strategic lines, plans 
and instruments on science, technology and innovation policies to the Ministry of Education 
and  Culture;  (2)  to  promote  and  stimulate  the  development  of  research  in  all  areas  of 
knowledge;  (3)  to  promote  actions  to  strengthen  the  National  System  of  Science, 
Technology and Innovation; (4) to propose the regulation of the different funds in which the 
MEC participates and of the Selection Committees and to supervise their operation; (5) to 
approve and revise, when necessary, the resolutions of the projects financed by the MEC; 
(6)  to  propose  technical  commissions  and  evaluators  for  the  evaluation  process  of  the 
projects. 

STI  policy  is  coordinated  through  the  2010  National  Strategic  Plan  for  Science, 
Technology  and  Innovation  (PENCTI)  of  2010.394  This  Plan  was  drawn  up  by  the 
Ministerial  Cabinet  for  Innovation395,  which  consists  of  various  ministries  and  currently 
comprises the Ministerial Cabinet for Productive Transformation and Competitiveness, with 
the collaboration of CONICYT. As of the  date of this study, Uruguay is starting to discuss 
the  basis  for a  new  PENCTI396.  In  2021,  the  Ministry  of Education  and  Culture did  this by 
launching  four  public397398  consultation  calls  to:  (1)  analyse  the  existing  regulations  in 
science,  technology  and  innovation  policies  and  activities  in  Uruguay,  with  the  aim  of 
identifying  possible  overlaps  and  gaps  and  to  evaluate  incentives  and  disincentives;  (2) 
characterise  the  actors  and  their  capacities  in  the  science,  technology  and  innovation 
system in Uruguay; (3) analyse the resources and instruments for the promotion of science, 
technology  and  innovation,  public  and  private  investment  in  R&D&I  and  the  stimulus  and 
support  instruments  applied  in  the  last  10  years  and  evaluate  the  concrete  impact  of  the 
support and stimulus programmes surveyed and the overall impact of investment in R&D&I; 

390 See https://www.impo.com.uy/bases/leyes/18084-2006  
391 See https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-educacion-cultura/  
392 See https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-educacion-cultura/direccion-innovacion-ciencia-tecnologia  
393 See https://www.conicyt.gub.uy/  
394 See https://www.anii.org.uy/institucional/documentos-de-interes/23/plan-estrategico-nacional-de-ciencia-
tecnologia-e-innovacion-pencti/  
395 See http://museohistorico.gub.uy/innovaportal/v/32994/2/mec/gabinete-ministerial-de-la-innovacion  
396 See https://www.conicyt.gub.uy/pencti  
397 See https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-educacion-cultura/comunicacion/convocatorias/reordenamiento-
institucional-area-ciencia-tecnologia-innovacion  
398 See https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-educacion-cultura/comunicacion/convocatorias/consultorias-c3yc4-ciencia-
tecnologia-innovacion  

106 

 
 
(4) analyse the operation of the science, technology and innovation system in Uruguay and 
express some general principles for a new institutional design. 

Research Funding  

At  national  level,  the  National  Agency  for  Research  and  Innovation  (ANII)399  is  the 
government body that funds research in Uruguay through open calls for proposals. Created 
by law 18.084 in 2006, it makes funds available to the public for research projects, national 
and  international  postgraduate  scholarships  and  incentive  programmes  for  innovative 
culture and entrepreneurship, in both public and private sectors. 

At  institutional  level,  the  Sectoral  Commission  for  Scientific  Research  (CSIC)400  of  the 
University of the Republic (UdelaR) is the main funding body in Uruguay. Its purpose is the 
comprehensive  promotion  of  research  in  all  areas  of  knowledge  at  the  University  of  the 
Republic  and,  to  this  end,  implements  funding  programmes  to  stimulate  and  strengthen 
research at institutional level. It only funds projects of the University of the Republic itself. 

Research Performing  

The  agents  for  the  execution  of  research  activity  in  Uruguay  are  universities  and  non-
university research institutes. 

The university sector consists of 2 public universities, 5 private universities and 8 university 
institutes.  The  most  noteworthy  of  these  institutions  is  the  UdelaR401,  a  public  university 
responsible  for  the  production  of  approximately  80%  of  the  country's  knowledge  (Aguirre-
Ligüera,  Maldini  and  Fontans,  2020)  and  where  89.5%  of  the  country's  students’  study 
(data from the Statistical Yearbook of Education 2019).  

There  are  also  four  non-university  sectoral  research  institutes  attached  to  the  ministries 
within  their  areas  of  expertise:  the  National  Institute  for  Agricultural  Research  (INIA)402, 
under the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Clemente Estable Biological Research 
Institute  (IIBCE)403,  under  the  Ministry  of  Education  and  Culture,  the  Technological 
Laboratory  of  Uruguay  (LATU)404,  under  the  Ministry  of  Energy  and  Minerals  and  the 
Uruguayan Antarctic Institute (IAU)405 which reports to the Ministry of Defence. Finally, the 
Institut Pasteur de Montevideo406, dedicated to scientific research in biological medicine, is 
a private non-profit foundation created through an agreement between the Institut Pasteur 
de Paris, the UdelaR and the Ministries of Health, Education and Culture and Economy and 
Finance.  The  Institute  has  been  in  operation  since  2007  and  is  part  of  the  International 
Network of Pasteur Institutes. 

399 See https://www.anii.org.uy  
400 See https://www.csic.edu.uy  
401 See https://udelar.edu.uy/portal/  
402 See http://www.inia.uy/  
403 See https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-educacion-cultura/politicas-y-gestion/instituto-clemente-estable  
404 See https://www.latu.org.uy/  
405 See http://www.iau.gub.uy  
406 See https://pasteur.uy/  

107 

 
 
 
 
Research Assessment  

The  ANII  is  the  government  body  that  coordinates  the  evaluation  of  research  activity  in 
Uruguay  through  the  National  System  of  Researchers  (S.N.I.)407,  created  in  2007.  The 
S.N.I. is responsible for the periodic evaluation and coordination of the system of financial 
incentives  for  research  personnel.  Its  objectives  are:  (1)  to  strengthen,  expand  and 
consolidate the scientific community; (2) to identify, periodically evaluate and categorise all 
researchers who conduct research in the national territory or who are Uruguayans working 
abroad;  (3)  to  establish  a  system  of  economic  support  that  stimulates  dedication  to  the 
production of knowledge in all areas through peer review.  

 Open access policy and legal framework 

In Uruguay there is no national open access policy for scientific publications and research 
data declared as such, nor is there a specific legal framework to support such a policy. The 
2010 National Strategic Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation did not include open 
access  to  scientific  content  among  its  guiding  principles  or  objectives.  However,  at 
institutional level there are concrete initiatives and mandates of great relevance that directly 
promote the depositing in open access of publicly funded research results.  

The  UdelaR  launched  the  first  initiative  in  favour  of  open  access  in  Uruguay  through  the 
research project "Institutional repository model as an alternative for the social, scientific and 
technological  development  of  the  country".  This  initiative  aimed  to  (1)  determine  the 
communication  model  used  by  Uruguayan  researchers  to  communicate  their  research 
results;  (2)  determine  the  availability,  ease  of  access  and  level  of  copyright  clearance  of 
academic  papers  published  in  academic  journals  by  Uruguayan  researchers;  (3)  analyse 
institutional  policies  for  the  communication  and  management  of  publicly  funded  research 
results;  and  (4)  propose  a  repository  model  based  on  open  access.  Its  two  most  notable 
results were identifying the absence of national and institutional policies for open access to 
scientific knowledge (Aguirre-Ligüera, Maldini and Fontans, 2020) and the development of 
a  narrative  that  defended  the  need  to  develop  a  model  of  open  access  institutional 
repositories  in  the  country408.  In  2014,  the  UdelaR  created  its  open  access  institutional 
repository,  COLIBRI409  and  made  it  compulsory  for  all  teaching  and  research  staff  and 
students writing theses and final projects to submit their research work in open access410.  

Meanwhile, in 2019, the ANII published its open access regulation411 which establishes that 
grant recipients must deposit scientific publications in open access, funded by the Agency 
through  research,  innovation  or  grant  projects,  in  the  repository  of  their  institution  or  the 
institution  responsible  for  the  project  and  that  the  repository  must  be  part  of  the  national 
aggregator of open access repositories, SILO. It allows a maximum embargo of 12 months 
and  links  the  final  payment  of  the  grant  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  self-archiving  obligation. 
Despite not having the status of law and not being supported by political declarations, this 
mandate  has  had  a  huge  impact  as  a  mechanism  to  encourage  open  access  among 
research staff. 

407 See https://sni.org.uy/  
408 See https://repositoriosuruguay.wordpress.com/proyecto_id/  
409 See https://www.colibri.udelar.edu.uy/jspui/  
410 See https://www.colibri.udelar.edu.uy/jspui/Documentos/Ordenanza-aprobada.pdf 
411 See https://www.anii.org.uy/institucional/documentos-de-interes/30/reglamento-de-acceso-abierto/  

108 

 
 
 
Despite  this  progress,  Uruguay  has  not  yet  addressed  research  data  management.  The 
open  access  mandates  of  the  ANII  and  UdelaR  do  not  take  them  into  consideration  and 
there  are  no  digital  platforms  for  their  deposit,  curation  and  long-term  preservation. 
Meanwhile,  administrative  data  has  been  targeted  by  a  National  Action  Plan  for  Open 
Government,  published  in  2012,  which  facilitated  Uruguay's  accession  to  the  International 
Open  Data  Charter  and  the  creation  of  the  National  Catalogue  of  Open  Data412  which 
provides  access  to  more  than  2,000  open  data  sets  of  public  agencies,  academia,  civil 
society  organisations  and  private  companies  and  to  applications  developed  using  them413 
(Prieto, 2022). 

As  of  the  date  of  this  report,  Uruguay  is  in  the  process  of  developing  its  national  open 
science guidelines.  

 Open access digital platforms 

Repositories   

Since  the  construction  of  COLIBRI,  other  universities  and  university  institutes  have 
developed their own institutional repositories. 

Also,  as  part  of  building  the  national  infrastructures  necessary  for  the  implementation  of 
open  access  mandates,  ANII  created  SILO414,  the  National  System  of  Open  Access 
Repositories of Science and Technology of Uruguay that promotes access and visibility 
of  scientific  and  technological  production  at  the  national  level.  SILO  is  the  national 
aggregator  of  institutional  repositories  that  contributes  to  the  correct  adoption  of  common 
interoperability  policies,  protocols  and  standards.  SILO  also  enables  the  coordination  of 
actions  and  the  adoption  of  plans,  programmes  and  projects  related  to  open  access  to 
national scientific production (Fernández, 2019). As of the date of this report, it aggregates 
a total of 8 open access institutional repositories and is working on adding another 6415. It 
hosts  8,612  documents  in  open  access,  more  than  70%  of  which  are  from  the  UdelaR. 
More than 50% of these are bachelor's and master's theses, 22% are academic articles and 
the rest are other type of documents such as technical reports, books, etc. SILO has been 
the national node of LA Referencia since 2018. 

Academic Journals  

In  Uruguay  OA  diamond  academic  journals  published  by  universities,  research  institutes 
and other non-profit organisations are predominant. 

In 2015 the Uruguayan Association of Academic Journals (AURA)416 was formed. Latindex 
and  SciELO  Uruguay  play  a  key  role  in  AURA.  The  objectives  of  this  association  are  to 
foster,  strengthen,  support,  encourage  and  promote  the  coordinated  and  cooperative 
publication of national academic journals in all knowledge areas, in accordance with ethical 
principles  and  standards  of  editorial  and  scientific  quality  and  to  strengthen  the  dynamic 
the 
community  of  publishers  and  managers  of  academic  publications 

through 

412 See https://catalogodatos.gub.uy/  
413 See https://catalogodatos.gub.uy/about  
414 See https://snrd-ti.anii.org.uy/  
415 See https://snrd-ti.anii.org.uy/vufind/Content/repos  
416 See https://aura.edu.uy/  

109 

 
 
 
professionalisation and recognition of the editorial task. To this end, AURA fosters dialogue 
between  authors  and  the  public,  maintains  collaborative  links  with  national  and  foreign 
academic  journals,  agencies  and  organisations,  manages  the  national  licensing  for  the 
award of long-lasting identifiers and offers specialised training in long-lasting identifiers and 
good publishing practices. As of the date of this report, AURA has 65 associated journals. 
Only  3  of  these  academic  journals  are  published  by  commercial  publishers  under  the 
subscription  access  model  and  the  rest  are  published  in  open  access  by  academic 
institutions, professional associations, or public bodies. In 2019, AURA signed its members 
up to AmeliCA (López Jordi et.al. 2022).  

Uruguayan  academic  journals  have  a  significant  presence  in  Latindex,  with  43  journals  in 
catalogue 2.0, Uruguay, with 25 indexed titles, Redalyc, with a total of 11 academic journals 
and DOAJ with SciELO a total of 32 Uruguayan academic journals.  

Table 13. Number of Uruguayan academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO Peru 

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No. of academic 
journals 

45 

27 

12 

33 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. Access date: 
December 2022. 

Curriculum management systems 

As  part  of  the  construction  of  the  National  System  of  Researchers,  the  ANII  provides  the 
CVUy  service417,  the  national  platform  of  curricular  data  of  research  personnel  that 
contributes  to  the  maintenance  and  permanent  updating  of  standardised  and  validated 
information on Uruguay's human capital in the scientific field. As of the date of this report, it 
has  data  on  more than  10,000  Uruguayan  professionals  and  academics,  whose  curricular 
information is used by national institutions for academic and research purposes. 

417 See https://cvuy.anii.org.uy/  

110 

 
 
 
 
14. European Union 

14.  EUROPEAN UNION 

2.32% 
R&D 
expenditure/GDP* 

9.18% 
Research staff/EAP 
in (0/00)* 

1,364 
Institutional 
repositories 

5,218  
Open access 
journals  

Regional OA 
policy

Regional repository 
aggregator

OA legal 
framework 

Regional journal 
aggregator

Institutional OA 
policies 

Curriculum 
management 
system 

Data: Compiled by the authors on the basis of Eurostat, OECD, OpenDOAR y DOAJ. 
Note: Data referring to 2020 (EU27). No. of researchers per thousand of labour force (0/00). 

The EU is an economic and political union 
of 27 Member States with specific 
competences in science and technology. 
The institutions responsible for STI policy 
are the European Commission and the 
Council of the European Union. 

The EU's first open access policy was 
launched in 2010. Since then, there has 
been a succession of mandates with an 
increasing scope of action and ever 
higher standards. 

The  European  Commission  has  been  at  the  forefront  of  open  access  policies  in  the  EU  based 
primarily  on  the  inclusion  of  increasingly  demanding  self-archiving  obligations  in  institutional  or 
thematic repositories for the beneficiaries of the Framework Programmes. To facilitate the fulfilment 
of  these  mandates,  it  has  put  in  place  a  number  of  platforms  and  services:  OpenAIRE,  EOSC  and 
ORE.  Europass  is  similar  to  curriculum  management  systems  in  other  countries,  although  it  is  not 
part of the digital fabric of the open access policy. 

is 

OpenAIRE 
the  European 
aggregator  of  open  access 
scientific  content. 
It  provides 
support  services  to  the  research 
community,  project  managers, 
repository  managers  and  public 
decision-makers.OpenAIRE 
scholarly 
promotes 
improved 
communication  and 
accessibility, 
reusability, 
reproducibility,  and  monitoring  of 
research results. 

open 

EOSC  is  an  ecosystem  for  the 
production, analysis, curation, long-
term  preservation,  and  reuse  of 
research  data.  Its  final  aim  is  to 
researchers, 
provide  European 
innovators, companies, and citizens 
with  a 
federated  and  open 
multidisciplinary environment where 
they  can  publish,  find,  and  reuse 
data, 
for 
research,  innovation  and  education 
purposes.  

tools  and  services 

111 

for 

is  a 

free,  open  access 
ORE 
publishing 
the 
platform 
publication  of  all 
types  of 
research results funded by H2020 
and HE. It is a voluntary tool that 
facilitates  compliance  with  open 
access  mandates  and  provides 
an  immediate  publication  venue 
under open  science  conditions.  It 
is  contracted  by  the  EC  to  the 
publisher F1000. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Institutional framework 

The  EU has  a  strong  leadership  role  in  identifying  public  problems  and  designing  science 
STI  policies,  both  its  own,  through  the  successive  Framework  Programmes  for  funding 
scientific research and technological development activity and those of its Member States. 
Thanks to its supranational character with specific competences in science and technology 
and  responsible  for  the  proper  administration  of  a  huge  budget  for  this  purpose,  it  has 
emerged as the leading body in the definition of open access policies, attached to those of 
open science since 2017.  

Governance418 

The  European  Union  (EU)  is  a  supranational  entity  that  brings  together  27  European 
countries  in  a  strong  economic  and  political  union.  These  countries  are  Austria,  Belgium, 
Bulgaria,  Croatia,  Cyprus,  Czech  Republic,  Denmark,  Estonia,  Finland,  France,  Germany, 
Greece,  Hungary,  Ireland,  Italy,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Luxembourg,  Malta,  the  Netherlands, 
Poland,  Portugal,  Romania, Slovakia,  Slovenia,  Spain  and  Sweden.  The  EU was  founded 
after World War II as a purely economic union. From then until today, it has developed into 
an organisation covering many different policy areas419, including public action for scientific 
research,  technological  development  and  innovation.  The  institutional  framework  of  the 
European  Union  consists  of  seven  institutions:  (1)  the  European  Parliament;  (2)  the 
European  Council;  (3) the  Council  of  the  European  Union;  (4) the  European  Commission; 
(5) the Court of Justice of the European Union; (6) the European Central Bank; and (7) the 
Court of Auditors. Of these institutions, the role of the Council of the European Union and 
the  European  Commission  are  noteworthy  as  essential  bodies  in  the  design  and 
implementation of STI policies at EU level. 

The Council of the European Union420, usually known as the Council421, is the institution 
of the European  Union in which the Member States are represented at ministerial level to 
adopt laws and coordinate policies. The Council of the European Union takes decisions on 
European  legislation  jointly  with  the  European  Parliament.  Ministers  meet  in  different 
configurations  depending  on  the  topic  to  be  discussed.  When  the  Council  brings  together 
ministers from all Member States responsible for the portfolios of trade, economy, industry, 
research and innovation or space, it is called the Competitiveness Council422. The Council 
of  the  EU  negotiates  and  adopts  not  only  legal  acts  but  also  documents,  such  as 
conclusions,  resolutions  and  declarations,  which  have  no  legal  effect.  The  Council  uses 
these formats to express a political position on an issue related to EU policy areas. These 
documents only establish political commitments or positions and are not legally binding. In 
research,  innovation  and  space,  the  Council  regularly  uses  conclusions  to  outline  the 
concrete  actions  to  be  undertaken  by  both  the  Community  institutions  and  the  by  the 
Member States and to set out the objectives to be achieved.   

418 See https://eur-lex.europa.eu/  
419 Customs; agriculture; humanitarian aid and civil protection; trade; competition; culture; human rights and 
democracy; development and cooperation; education, training and youth; employment and social affairs; 
enterprise and industry; energy; taxation; research and innovation; justice and fundamental rights; environment; 
single market; foreign and security policy; regional policy; health; food safety; and transport. 
420 See https://www.consilium.europa.eu/es/council-eu/  
421 It should not be confused with the European Council, a Community institution that brings together the Heads of 
State and Government of the Member States to promote the general political action of the European Union, nor 
with the Council of Europe, an international organisation of a regional nature that is distinct from and outside the 
European Union. 
422 See https://www.consilium.europa.eu/es/council-eu/configurations/compet/  

112 

 
 
The  European  Commission423  is  a  politically  independent  body  of  the  EU,  which 
represents  its  common  interests  and  is  its  main  executive  body.  It  is  the  sole  body 
responsible  for  drafting  proposals  for  new  European  legislation  and  for  implementing  the 
decisions  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council.  Its  role  is  to  is  to  look  after  the 
general  interests  of  the  Union  by  proposing  and  checking  that  legislation  is  complied  with 
and implementing EU policies and the EU budget.  

Research Funding  

The  European  Commission  is  the  institution  responsible  for  funding  STI  activities  in  the 
EU.  To  this  end,  it  has  the  multiannual  financial  instrument  known  as  the  Framework 
Programme  for  Research  and  Development,  aimed  at  financing  actions  and  areas 
considered  strategic  for  the  EU  and/or  where  isolated  actions  by  the  Member  States  are 
insufficient  or  less  effective  than  in  transnational  collaboration.  Since  its  inception  to  date 
there  have  been  a  total  of  9  Framework  Programmes  whose  geographical  scope  and 
budget have been steadily growing (see table 14).  

Table 14. European Union research funding programmes 

Programme 

Abbreviation 

Period 

Budget 
(In K million €) 

First Framework Programme  

Second Framework Programme  

Third Framework Programme  

Fourth Framework Programme  

Fifth Framework Programme  

Sixth Framework Programme  

Seventh Framework Programme 

Horizon 2020 

Horizon Europe 

FP1 

FP2 

FP3 

FP4 

FP5 

FP6 

FP7 

H2020 

HE 

1984–1987 

1987–1991 

1990–1994 

1994–1998 

1998–2002 

2002–2006 

2007–2013 

2014–2020 

2021–2027 

3.3 

5.4 

6.6 

13.2 

14.9 

19.3 

55.8 

80 

95.5 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from the European Commission. 

Horizon  Europe424,  the  Framework  Programme  for  the  period  2021-2027,  is  a  funding 
instrument  for  STI  activities,  mostly  implemented  through  competitive  calls.  It  has  a 
structure based on three pillars, a cross-cutting axis and two complementary programmes 
(European  Defence  Fund425  and  EURATOM426).  Pillar  I,  called  Excellent  Science,  funds 
frontier research projects designed and led by researchers through the European Research 
Council  (ERC)427.  It  also  encourages  the  mobility  of  researchers  and  their  integration  in 
companies through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and promotes the development of 
research  infrastructures.  Pillar  II,  called  Global  Challenges  and  European  Industrial 

423 See https://ec.europa.eu/info/index_en   
424 See https://www.horizonteeuropa.es/sites/default/files/noticias/Gu%C3%ADa%20del%20participante%20-
%20Horizonte%20Europa%20web_0.pdf  
425 See https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-funding-programmes/european-defence-fund_es  
426 See https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-
open-calls/horizon-europe/euratom-research-and-training-programme_en  
427 See https://erc.europa.eu/  

113 

 
 
Competitiveness,  funds  research  and  generation  of  new  knowledge  and  technology  for 
societal  challenges,  strengthens  industrial  technological  capacities  with  the  aim  of 
increasing  the  competitiveness  of  European  industry  (especially  SMEs)  and  establishes 
missions  with  ambitious  objectives  oriented  towards  major  global  challenges  with  a  high 
impact  on  citizens  (health,  climate  change,  renewable  energies,  mobility,  security,  digital, 
materials,  etc.).  Pillar  III,  called  Innovative  Europe,  aims  to  make  Europe  a  pioneer  in 
creating innovative markets and growing innovative SMEs through the European Innovation 
Council  (EIC)428,  an  institution that  supports  leading  innovators,  entrepreneurs,  SMEs  and 
scientists  with  ambitions  to  grow  internationally  and  the  European  Institute  of  Innovation 
and  Technology  (EIT)429,  an  institution  that  fosters  the  integration  of  research,  higher 
education  and  entrepreneurship  through  Knowledge  and  Innovation  Communities  (KICs). 
These three pillars are underpinned by a horizontal axis, called Widening Participation and 
Strengthening the European Research Area (ERA), dedicated to assisting Member States 
in their efforts to develop their national research and innovation potential, especially those 
with lower STI performance in STI, to improve their participation in Horizon Europe. 

Figure 7. Outline of the Horizon Europe programme 

Source: European Commission. 

The  types  of  actions  funded  through  Horizon  Europe  are:  (1)  Research  and  Innovation 
Actions (RIA); (2) Innovation Actions (IA); (3) Coordination and Support Actions (CSA); (4) 
Innovation and Market Deployment actions (IMDA); (5) Training and Mobility Actions (TMA); 
(6)  Pre-Commercial  Procurement  Actions  (PCP);  (7)  Public  Procurement  of  Innovative 
Solutions  Actions  -  PPI);  (8)  Program  Co-Financing  Actions  (CoFund);  (9)  Prizes;  (10) 
Framework Partnership Agreements (FPAs); and (11) Specific Grant Agreements (SGAs). 

428 See https://eic.ec.europa.eu/index_en  
429 See https://eit.europa.eu/  

114 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Research Performing  

The  implementing  entities  of  the  STI  activity  in  the  EU  are  all  those  eligible  to  apply  to 
Horizon  Europe.  I.e.,  universities,  research  centres,  technology  or  technology  transfer 
centres,  enterprises,  public  administrations,  natural  persons,  European  Economic  Interest 
Groupings (EEIGs), international organisations of European interest and Community bodies 
established  in  an  EU  or  Associated  Member  State430  or  in  third  countries  whose  profile 
meets the eligibility and eligibility conditions set out in the calls. 

Europe has approximately 5,000 higher education institutions, 17.5 million higher education 
students, 1.35 million higher education teachers and 1.17 million researchers431. It also has 
more than 5,000 research centres432. To be eligible as beneficiaries of the Horizon Europe 
programme,  the  implementing  entities  of  STI  activity  must  form  consortia  of  at  least  three 
legal entities, independent of one another, each established in a different EU Member State 
or  Horizon  Europe  Associated  country,  with  at  least  one  entity  belonging  to  the  EU.  The 
only  exceptions  to  this  rule  are  single-beneficiary  actions  (ERC,  EIC,  Marie  Skłodowska-
Curie,  prizes  and  some  CSAs)  and  Pre-commercial  or  Innovative  Public  Procurement 
actions,  for  which  at  least  two  public  purchasers  are  required,  each  established  in  a 
different Member or Associated State and with at least one of them belonging to the EU. 

Research Assessment  

Scientific  merit  at  curriculum  level  in  the  EU  is  evaluated  by  executive  agencies,  that 
implement the Horizon Europe programme433. 

The  Research  Executive  Agency  (REA)434  is  the  largest  European  executive  agency.  It 
evaluates  most  of  the  proposals  submitted  for  Horizon  Europe  funding:  under  Pillar  I,  the 
Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and the research infrastructure programme; under Pillar II, 
the  actions  of  the  Culture,  Creativity  and  Inclusive  Society  cluster,  the  Civil  Security  for 
Society  cluster,  the  Promotion  of  Agricultural  Products  cluster,  the  Food,  Bioeconomy, 
Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment cluster; and all actions under the Widening 
Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area programme and the Coal and 
Steel  Research  Fund.  Within  these  programmes,  the  only  single-beneficiary  programme 
involving  curricular  scientific  performance  measurement  is  the  Marie  Skłodowska-Curie 
programme, designed to fund research and innovation projects that boost the careers of top 
researchers through mobility and innovative doctoral and postdoctoral training. 

The European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA)435 evaluates the research 
proposals  competing  in  the  ERC's  single-beneficiary  grants:  Starting  grants,  Consolidator 
grants  and  Advanced  grants,  as  well  as  in  Synergy  grants,  which  allow  for  up  to  four 
different beneficiaries.  

430 These are:  Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 
Liechtenstein, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Tunisia. 
431 See https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/es/IP_22_365 
432 See https://research.webometrics.info  
433 CINEA – European Climate, Infrastructure & Environment Executive Agency; EISMEA – European Innovation 
Council and SMEs Executive Agency; ERCEA – European Research Council Executive Agency; HaDEA – 
European Health and Digital Executive Agency; REA – Research Executive Agency 
434 See https://rea.ec.europa.eu/  
435 See https://erc.europa.eu/  

115 

 
 
 
 Open access policy and legal framework 

The Council of the European Union has consistently declared its strong support for open 
access  and  open  science  policies  through  its  conclusions,  which  have  been  drawn  up  in 
coordination with the Commission's actions. In 2016, the Council Conclusions of 27 May 
on the Transition to an Open Science System436 recognised that open science offers the 
potential  to  enhance  the  quality,  impact  and  benefits  of  science  and  to  accelerate  the 
progress  of  knowledge  by  helping  to  make  it  more  reliable,  efficient  and  accurate,  more 
understandable  to  society  and  better  suited  to  addressing  societal  challenges.  In  this 
document, the Council establishes the semantic perimeter of the concept of open science, 
calls for the results of publicly funded research to be made as openly available as possible 
and  advocates  the  optimal  re-use  of  research  data.  It  also  argues  that  the  assessment  of 
scientific quality should be extended to also measure the influence of science on society as 
a  whole,  rather  than  emphasising  a  set  of  indicators  based  on  the  impact  of  academic 
journals  and  the  number  of  citations  of  publications  and  it  encourages  the  Commission, 
Member  States  and  stakeholders  to  continue  to  develop  and  implement  initiatives  to 
improve the quality of their assessment and review systems. This message is reinforced in 
the Council conclusions on Accelerating the Circulation of Knowledge in the EU437 of 
29  May  2018  and  in  the  Council  Conclusions  on  Governance  of  the  European 
Research  Area438  adopted  on  30  November  2018,  which  stress  the  importance  of 
developing  open  access  and  open  science  policies  through  the  Framework  Programmes 
and the need to implement an open science policy aimed at improving the recognition and 
reward mechanisms for research staff. In the Council Conclusions on the New European 
Research  Area439  of  December  2020,  the  conclusions  include  a  specific  section  on  open 
science, highlighting that widespread open access to research publications and data plays 
a  crucial  role  in  boosting  the  impact,  quality,  efficiency, transparency  and  integrity  of  R&I, 
encouraging the Commission, Member States and stakeholders to support and implement 
open  science  practices  in  their  research  reward  and  evaluation  systems  and  recognising 
that  bibliodiversity,  multilingualism  and  recognition  of  all  scientific  output  is  an  important 
element of an open science policy in the ERA. Subsequently, in the Council Conclusions 
on Deepening  the European Research Area440 of 28 May 2021, the focus is directed at 
the  need  to  change  the  systems  for  assessing  scientific  merit  towards  a  new  model  that 
goes  beyond  publication  and  citation  measurement  and  takes  account  of  research 
excellence,  teaching  and  skills,  impact,  services  to  society,  open  science  practices,  team 
science,  mobility,  management  and  leadership  skills,  entrepreneurship  and  collaboration 
with industry, among others. All these developments have crystallised in the  Conclusions 
of  the  Council  on  Research  Assessment  and  Implementation  of  Open  Science441, 
adopted on 10 June 2022, which make an open and detailed case for the need to change 
the system of recognition of research merit and how to do so and include a novel approach 
to open access and open science by arguing the need for a European approach to capacity 
building  for  the  publication  and  communication  of  research  results  and  for  developing 
multilingualism  in  European  scholarly  publishing.  The  Council  Conclusions  welcomed  the 
European  initiative  which  has  launched  a  dialogue  with  stakeholders  at  European  level  in 
order  to  collect  views  on  research  assessment  systems  and  which  aims  to  facilitate  the 
establishment  of  a  broad  coalition  of  stakeholders  willing  to  develop  and  implement 
changes.  The  Agreement  on  Reforming  Research  Assessment  was  made  public  in  July 

436 See https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9526-2016-INIT/es/pdf  
437 See https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9507-2018-INIT/es/pdf  
438 See https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-14989-2018-INIT/es/pdf  
439 See https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13567-2020-INIT/en/pdf  
440 See https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/49980/st09138-en21.pdf  
441 See https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/56958/st10126-en22.pdf  

116 

 
 
2022  and  is  open  for signature to  organisations  from  across  the  world  at  the  Coalition  for 
the Advancement of the Research Assessment (COARA)442 platform.  

In terms of actual implementation, in 2010, the  European Commission launched the first 
pilot  initiative  to  promote  open  access  through  its  research  funding  programmes. 
Beneficiaries  of  the  7th  Framework  Programme    grants  in  seven  specific  areas443 
contained the so-called special clause 39. This clause obliged researchers participating in 
these  projects  to  make  every  effort  to  publish  the  results  of  their  research  in  an  open 
access repository. The obligation affected approximately 20% of the budget financed by the 
EC in  FP7.  This  pilot  crystallised  in  Horizon  2020444  as  a  mandate  for all  beneficiaries  of 
the  new  framework  programme  across  all  actions  and  all  areas.  The  H2020  grant 
agreement445  included  the  obligation  to  deposit,  as  soon  as  possible  and  at  the  latest  on 
publication, a machine-readable electronic copy of the published version or the final peer-
reviewed  manuscript  accepted  for  publication,  in  a  repository  for  scientific  publications. 
Beneficiaries were also required to ensure open access, via the repository, to the deposited 
publication on publication (if an electronic version was available for free via the publisher) or 
within  six  months  of  publication  (twelve  months  for the  humanities  and  social  sciences)  in 
any  other  case.  In  addition,  H2020  beneficiaries  should  also  aim  at  depositing  the  data 
underlying  the  publications  at  the  same  time  in  order  to  ensure  the  reproducibility  of  the 
results. For the rest of the research data generated in the projects, from 2017 onwards, all 
H2020  beneficiaries  had  to  produce  a  data  management  plan  and  make  it  "as  open  as 
possible  and  as  closed  as  necessary"  unless  they  opted  out  of  the  Open  Research  Data 
Pilot. 

the  preservation  and  re-use  of  scientific 

As  a  complement  to  its  actions  as  a  funding  agency,  on  25  April  2018  the  European 
Commission adopted the Recommendation on access to and preservation of scientific 
information446. In this document, the EC urges Member States to establish and implement 
clear  policies  for:  (1)  the  dissemination  of  and  open  access  to  scientific  publications  from 
publicly  funded  research;  (2)  the  management  of  data  resulting  from  publicly  funded 
information 
research;  (3)  strengthening 
(publications,  datasets  and  other  research  results);  (4) 
the 
infrastructures  supporting  the  system  enabling  access  to,  preservation  and  re-use  of 
scientific  information  and  to  promote  their  federation  within  the  European  Open  Science 
Cloud  (EOSC);  (5)  improvements  in  the  capacities  and  competencies  of  researchers  and 
staff of academic institutions in scientific information; (6) adjustment to the recruitment and 
performance  evaluation  system  for  researchers,  the  evaluation  system  for  the  award  of 
research  grants  and  the  evaluation  system  for  research  organisations;  (7)  participation  in 
multilateral  dialogues  on  the  transition  to  open  science  at  national,  European  and 
international  level  on  the  issues  outlined  in  the  document;  (8)  designation  of  a  national 
contact, whose tasks will be to coordinate the measures contained in the Recommendation 
and  to  act  as  the  EC's  interlocutor  on  matters  relating  to  access  to  and  preservation  of 
scientific  information;  (9)  reporting  to  the  EC  eighteen  months  after  the  publication  of  the 
document  and  every  two  years  thereafter,  on  the  measures  taken  to  comply  with  the 
Recommendation. 

the  development  of 

442 See www.coara.eu 
443 Energy, Environment (including Climate Change), Health, Information and Communication Technologies 
(Cognitive Systems, Interaction, Robotics), Research Infrastructures (e-Infrastructures), Science in Society, Socio-
Economic Sciences and Humanities. 
444 See https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-
open-calls/horizon-2020_en  
445 See https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/amga/h2020-amga_en.pdf  
446 See https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018H0790  

117 

 
 
The  European  Commission  redoubled  its  commitment  with  the  open  access  policy  in  the 
development of Horizon Europe (HE)447. In this new Framework Programme, the concept 
of  open  science  is  introduced  and  given  a  high  profile  through  three channels.  Firstly,  HE 
contains programmes with specific calls to fund STI actions with open science as an object 
of study. This is the case for the calls dedicated to the construction of the EOSC under the 
Research Infrastructures programme (Pillar I) and for some calls under the horizontal axis 
Widening  Participation  and  Strengthening  the  European  Research  Area.  Secondly,  HE 
makes  open  science  practices  the  new  paradigm  under  which  researchers  who  apply  for 
one of its calls for proposals must work. Proposals to be submitted are required to include a 
description  about  open  science  practices  within  the  excellence  section  that  would  be 
subject  for  evaluation.  Finally,  open  science  provisions  to  peer-reviewed  scientific 
publications  emanating  from  the  projects  at  the  project  execution  stage  under  HE  grant 
agreement conditions are more demanding than under H2020 grant agreement conditions. 
Immediate open access is now required, and embargo periods are no longer accepted. To 
this  end,  beneficiaries  are  required  to  maintain  sufficient  intellectual  property  rights  to 
comply  with  the  open  access  mandate.  Articles  must  be  deposited  in  a  trusted  repository 
and open access provided to them under CC-BY or an equivalent licence and open access 
to  monographs  provided  via  repositories  under  CC  BY-NC,  CC  BY-ND  or  equivalent 
licences.  Metadata  must  be  published  under  a  CC  0  licence.  All  work  shall  contain 
information on other research results, tools and instruments necessary to validate the 
results obtained. Research data must be managed according to FAIR principles (findable, 
accessible, interoperable and reusable) and, to this end, a data management plan will need 
to be associated with it.  

The most recent of the European Commission's actions in favour of open access has been 
the  publication  of  the  document  European  Research  Area  and  Policy  Agenda  2022-
2024448.  The  concept  of  the  European  Research  Area  (ERA)  was  launched  in  2000  and 
responds  to  the  ambition  of  the  EU  institutions  to  create  a  single,  borderless  market  for 
research,  innovation  and  technology  across  the  EU  that  helps  countries  to  be  more 
effective together, by aligning their R&D policies and programmes and embracing the free 
movement of researchers and knowledge. This document sets out the concrete actions to 
be implemented by the EC in the period 2022-2024 to advance the construction of the ERA. 
These actions target four priority areas: (1) deepening a fully functioning internal market for 
knowledge; (2) taking up together the challenges of the dual ecological and digital transition 
and  increasing  society's  participation  in  the  ERA;  (3)  widening  access  to  excellence  in 
research and innovation across the Union; (4) promoting concerted research and innovation 
investments and reforms. Within the first of these priority areas, the EC commits to specific 
actions  related  to  open  science:  facilitating  open  knowledge  sharing  and  re-use  of  all 
research  results  beyond  academic  publications;  developing  the  European  Open  Science 
Cloud  (EOSC);  proposing  a  research-friendly  EU  legislative  and  regulatory  framework  for 
copyright  and  data;  and  moving  towards  reform  of  the  research  evaluation  system,  both 
individual  and  institutional  merit  assessment,  to  align  it  with  open  science  principles  and 
thus improve its quality, performance and impact.  

447 See https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-
open-calls/horizon-europe_en  
448 See 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/research_and_innovation/strategy_on_research_and_innovation/docum
ents/ec_rtd_era-policy-agenda-2021.pdf  

118 

 
 
 
 
 Open access digital platforms  

Repositories 

The  open  access  policy  implemented  by  the  European  Commission  through  FP7,  H2020 
and HE relies on open access institutional or thematic repositories as essential elements of 
its  implementation.  To  ensure the  existence  of  a  sufficiently  extensive  and  technologically 
sound network of repositories, the EC launched OpenAIRE449 (Open Access Infrastructure 
Research  for  Europe),  a  technology  and  service  infrastructure  set  up  in  2009  to  support, 
accelerate and measure the  successful implementation of  European  open  access  policies 
for  scientific  publications  and  research  data.  OpenAIRE  was  born  as  a  Coordination  and 
Support Action (CSA) funded by FP7 for the period 2009-2012 and has continued without 
interruption, thanks to the fact that it has obtained funding throughout different competitive 
calls for funding scientific infrastructures launched by FP7  and Horizon 2020450. Originally, 
its main objective was to be the European aggregator of open access repositories hosting 
all the scientific output generated the projects funded by the Framework Programmes. It is 
currently  a  legal  entity  in  the  form  of  a  non-profit  civil  association  that  promotes  open 
scholarly  communication  and  the  improvement  of  accessibility,  reusability,  reproducibility 
and monitoring of research results, including data, from any scientific discipline and subject 
area.  It  does  so  by  providing  researchers,  librarians,  repository  managers  and  public 
decision-makers  with  numerous 
repository 
management,  infrastructure  interoperability  and  research  data  management  needed  to 
design, implement and comply with open access and open science mandates. 

tools  and  services 

technological 

for 

As  of  the  date  of  this  report,  OpenAIRE  aggregates  information  from  5,677  literature 
repositories,  3,945  data  repositories,  98,522  open  access  journals  and  131  aggregators, 
including  LA  Referencia.451  OpenAIRE  provides  access  to  142  million  publications,  17 
million  research  datasets  and  300,000  software  developments  from  110,000  different 
information sources and 177,000 organisations. OpenAIRE holds scientific information from 
fourteen  countries  in  Latin  America  (see  figures  8-10):  Argentina,  Brazil,  Chile,  Colombia, 
Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and 
Venezuela. The total number of Latin American repositories collected is 103. 

449 See https://www.openaire.eu/  
450 OpenAIRE has been built through the following projects: (1) OpenAIRE – Open Access Infrastructure 
Research for Europe (2009-2012). Funding programme: FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES-2009-1. Number of partners: 
38 (2) OpenAIREplus – 2nd Open Access Infrastructure Research for Europe (2012-2014). Funding programme: 
FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES-2011-2. Number of partners: 40 (3) OpenAIRE2020 – 3rd Open Access Infrastructure 
Research for Europe (2015-2018). H2020-EINFRA-2014-2015/H2020-EINFRA-2014-1 funding programme. 
Number of partners: 50 (4) OpenAIRE Advance – OpenAIRE Advancing Open Scholarship (2018-2020). H2020-
EINFRA-2016-2017/H2020-EINFRA-2017 funding programme. Number of partners: 48. 
451 See https://explore.openaire.eu/  

119 

 
 
 
 
Figure 8. Number of repositories collected by OpenAIRE  

Figure 9. Number of Journal archives collected by 
OpenAIRE  

Note: Repository or aggregator 
Source: Compiled by the authors based on OpenAIRE 
data. 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on OpenAIRE 
data. 

Among the services offered by OpenAIRE is Zenodo452Operated by CERN453, Zenodo is a 
multidisciplinary  repository  that  hosts  all  kinds  of  documentary  materials  and  results  of 
research and academic activities conducted by any researcher, from any institution. 

Regarding research data management, the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)454 is 
a  digital  ecosystem  for  hosting  and  processing  research  data  in  support  of  EU  science. 
Launched  in  2016  and  under  construction  as  of  the  date  of  this  report,  it  aims  to  provide 
European  researchers,  innovators,  businesses  and  citizens  with  a  pooled  and  open 
multidisciplinary  environment  where  they  can  publish,  find  and  reuse  data,  tools  and 
services  for  research,  innovation  and  education  purposes.  EOSC  has  been  defined  as  a 
'process' (Budroni et. al. 2019) which aims to change the unit of communication of research 
results from scientific articles to data. To date, progress has been made on the architecture 
for  pooling  new  and  pre-existing  infrastructures,  on  standards  to  ensure  compliance  with 
FAIR  principles,  on  designing  the  services  to  be  provided  to  the  1.7  million  European 
researchers,  on  access  mechanisms,  on  interfaces,  their  rules  of  participation  and  their 
governance  (Budroni  et.  al.  (2019).  Once  established,  value-added  services  will  be 
developed,  ranging  from  display  and  analysis  to  long-term  preservation  of  information  or 
monitoring the adoption of open science practices. . The EOSC is currently in its phase II of 
implementation  (2021-2030).  Its  development  is  one  of  the  20  priority  actions  within  the 
ERA policy agenda 2022-2024. It is expected that its full deployment will lead to increased 
research  productivity,  new  knowledge  and  innovations,  as  well  as  greater  reproducibility 
and  confidence  in  science.  The  EC  is  building  the  EOSC  through  three  main  actions:  (1) 

452 See https://zenodo.org/communities/openaire/?page=1&size=20  
453 European Organization for Nuclear Research. See https://home.cern/ 
454 See https://eosc-portal.eu/  

120 

 
 
 
 
 
research  projects  funded  by  the  H2020  research  infrastructure  programme  calls455  and 
Horizon  Europe,  (2)  the  EOSC  Partnership456,  formed  in  July  2020  with  more  than  200 
partner institutions; (3) co-programming actions between the EC and Member States.  

Academic Journals  

Academic journals have not been included as elements of the implementation of EC open 
access  policies.  Both  H2020  and  HE  establish  that  the  final  destination  of  publicly  funded 
scientific  publications  is  institutional  or  thematic  repositories,  both  for  works  published  in 
open access journals and for those published in subscription access journals.  

Open Research Europe (ORE)457 is a free, open access publishing platform funded by the 
European Commission for the publication of research arising from H2020 and HE projects 
in all thematic areas. The platform makes it easier for beneficiaries who use it voluntarily to 
comply with open access conditions and provides them with a publication venue where they 
can share all their results immediately. It was procured through a €5.8m public tender for 4 
years, launched in 2018, which was won by the F1000 publishing company. ORE makes it 
possible  to  publish  preprint  versions  of  articles  and  all  research  results  produced  on 
projects,  beyond  publications  (software  code,  research  data,  methodologies,  protocols, 
reports, etc.). All work is published in open access under a CC-BY licence, publication and 
peer  review  processes  are  open  and  transparent  and,  where  appropriate,  authors  are 
asked to include detailed descriptions of methods and provide full and easy access to the 
underlying  data.  ORE  aims  to  be  an  alternative  to  commercial  academic  journals,  not  an 
alternative  to  repositories.  Peer reviewed  papers  published  in  ORE  are automatically  sent 
to Zenodo.  

Recently, both the Council and the Commission have turned their attention to the so-called 
diamond  publishing  venues.  In  Europe,  open  access  journals  that  do  not  charge  for 
processing  articles  are  mostly  published  by  the  publication  services  of  public  research 
organisations  and  are  often  published  in  the  languages  of  each  member  state.  To  try  to 
protect them and improve their solvency and long-term sustainability, the EC has launched 
support  initiatives  through  the  Widening  Participation  and  Strengthening  the  European 
Research  Area  programme,  which  includes  the  project  Developing  Institutional  Open 
Access  Publishing  Models  to  Advance  Scholarly  Communication  (DIAMAS).  This 
initiative, scheduled  to  run  from  September 2022  to  September 2025,  aims  to  provide  the 
research community with an aligned, high quality and sustainable scholarly communication 
ecosystem capable of implementing open access as a standard publication practice across 
the  ERA.  This  is  expected  to  substantially  increase  the  capacity  of  institutions  to  provide 
innovative,  valid,  reliable  and  accessible  open  access  publishing  services,  while  taking 
account  of  the  specific  needs  of  different  scientific  communities  across  disciplines, 
countries and languages.  

EU  Member  States,  aggregated,  have  a  significant  representation  in  DOAJ,  with  5,218 
titles.  However,  not  all  countries  contribute  journals  to  the  other  databases.  In  Latindex 
there are only journals from Spain, with 882 titles and from Portugal, with 45 (in total, 927). 
The  same  countries  are  the  only  ones  contributing  journals  to  SciELO:  Spain  contributing 
44  journals,  all  of  them  in  bio-health  and  Portugal  contributing  61  (in  total,  105).  The 
geographical representation in Redalyc is broader: there is 1 journal from Germany, 1 from 
Denmark, 174 from Spain, 1 from Italy, 1 from Poland and 19 from Portugal (197 in total). 

455 The EC has invested €252.4 million through the INFRAEOSC programme of Horizon 2020. 
456 See https://eosc.eu/  
457 See https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/  

121 

 
 
Table 15. Number of European Union academic journals in Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO, Redalyc and 
DOAJ 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO  

Redalyc 

DOAJ 

No. of academic 
journals 

927 

105 

197 

5,218 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from Latindex, SciELO, Redalyc and DOAJ. Access date: 
December 2022. 

Curriculum management systems 

The  European  Union  does  not  have  an  integrated  research  information  system  for 
managing researchers’ the curricular data. 

Europass  curriculum  vitae458,  created  in  2004,  is  a  common  and  standardised  model  of 
curriculum vitae that facilitates the search for employment in the countries of the European 
Union  (Member  States,  countries  of  the  European  Economic  Area  and  EU  candidate 
countries). Still, this tool was not designed and is not used as an implementation element of 
open access or open science policies. Its aim is to establish a model curriculum to facilitate 
the mobility of workers – not researchers – throughout the European Union. As of the date 
of  this  study,  Europass  has  more  than  four  million  registered  users  and  by  2021  it  had 
accumulated a total of 23 million visits to its portal.  

458 See https://europa.eu/europass/es  

122 

 
 
 
 
 
 
15.  COMMON CHALLENGES BETWEEN LATIN AMERICA 
AND THE CARIBBEAN AND THE EUROPEAN UNION  

For the proper design of open access policies, the actors involved in the research funding, 
performing,  communication  and  assessment  of  scientific  activity  must  be  perfectly 
coordinated.  The  challenges  faced  by  LAC  and  EU  countries  are  similar  since  the  shift 
towards  the  open  science  paradigm  subjects  all  STI  systems  to  equal  magnitude 
evolutionary  pressures.  These  have  been  tackled  differently  in  each  region,  given  the 
differences in the configuration of each regional ecosystem.  

The  Latin  American  and  Caribbean  countries  have  an  average  R&D  expenditure  of 
0.65%459 of their Gross Domestic Product. For their part, the 27 countries that make up the 
European  Union  spend  an  average  of  2.32%  of  their  GDP  on  R&D460.  In  terms  of  human 
resources,  the  11  LAC  countries  have  2.2461  researchers  per  1,000  economically  active 
population, while the 27 EU countries have 9.18462 researchers per 1,000 EAP. These data 
show  that  each  of  the  regions  is,  at  aggregate  level,  in  a  different  order  of  magnitude  in 
addressing STI policies.  

Homogenous STI governance systems  

All  LAC  countries  in  this  study,  with  the  sole  exception  of  Brazil,  define  their  science, 
technology  and  innovation  systems  through  a  law  with  varying  dates  of  enactment  and 
scope.  The  most  advanced  legal  frameworks  establish  the  governance  of  national 
ecosystems,  create  and  restructure  the  different  institutions  that  form  them,  regulate  their 
mission, list their functions, structure administrative hierarchical relationships between them 
and assign responsibilities. In the case of the EU, the legitimacy to act in the field of R&D&I 
is established in the founding treaties and there is no legal framework that explicitly clarifies 
the institutional framework that operates in this field. 

Governance  and  strategic  decision-making  are  led  at  the  highest  political  level.  In 
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Uruguay and in the EU, this 
is  at  ministerial  rank.  The  main  problems  faced  by  these  countries  are  political  instability, 
high turnover of decision-makers and implementing staff and the lack of state policies that 
prioritise  STI  activity.  At  a  second  level,  all  countries  except  Costa  Rica,  El  Salvador  and 
the EU have advisory bodies that sometimes also carry out planning and control tasks. In 
addition,  some  countries  such  as  Argentina,  Brazil,  Chile,  Colombia,  Ecuador  and  Mexico 
also have entities whose mission is the regional and sectoral  coordination of R&D&I and 
actions. This function is also carried out by the Council of the European Union. 

LAC countries and the EU define action to promote STI through an official document known 
as the Plan, Strategy o Policy, as appropriate. These are multi-year planning instruments 
in which governments argue the basis for their policies, reflect the priorities of their public 
action and define strategies to achieve them. 

In  most cases,  they  also  have  a specific  agency  under  the  relevant  ministries  responsible 
for  governance,  whose  role  is  to  implement  and  execute  STI  policies.  These  are: 

459 Source: Compiled by the author based on RICyT data. 
460 Source: OECD. 
461 Source: Compiled by the author based on RICyT data. 
462 Source: OECD. 

123 

 
 
CONICET  in  Argentina;  CNPq  in  Brazil;  ANID  in  Chile;  the  Innovation  and  Research 
Promotion  Agency  in  Costa  Rica;  SENECYT  in  Ecuador;  CONACyT  in  El  Salvador; 
CONACyT in Mexico; SENASCyT in Panama, CONCYTEC in Peru and ANII in Uruguay. In 
Colombia,  it  is  the  Minciencias  itself  and  in  the  EU,  it  is  the  European  Commission  that 
carries out this work.  

All of them also have specific research funding programmes, although in some cases there 
is  a  lack  of  continuity  in  public  calls  for  proposals  and  uneven  coverage  in  the  different 
types  of  R&D&I support  programmes.  While  the  range of  EC funding  programmes  is  very 
broad  and  increasingly  funded,  not  all  LAC  countries  maintain  minimum  stability  in  their 
calls  for  proposals,  nor  do  they  call  for  actions  related  to  all  areas  requiring  support  and 
promotion  (training  of  research  personnel,  research  projects,  scientific  infrastructures, 
networks or innovation actions, to cite a few examples). It is also noteworthy the importance 
of international cooperation funds for funding STI activities. In the case of Argentina, Chile, 
Costa  Rica,  Ecuador,  El  Salvador,  Mexico,  Panama,  Uruguay  and  the  EU,  the  main 
research  funding  agents  are  the  entities  responsible  for  the  implementation  and  research 
performing of STI policies, i.e. CONICET, ANID, the Costa Rican Innovation and Research 
Promotion  Agency,  SENESCYT,  CONACyT,  CONACyT  SENASCYT,  ANII  and  the  EC 
respectively.  However,  other  research  funding  agencies  exist  in  these  and  other  LAC 
countries and in the EU and it is common for universities to play this role as well, especially 
in Central American countries.  

In  terms  of  implementation,  the  LAC  countries  have  an  important  network  of  public  and 
private  universities,  among  which  the  public  universities  are  renowned  for  their  teaching 
quality  and implementation of  R&D activities.  In  addition,  9  of  the  11  countries  analysed  - 
Argentina,  Brazil,  Chile,  Costa  Rica,  Ecuador,  El  Salvador,  Mexico,  Peru  and  Uruguay  - 
have  a  population  of  public  sectoral  research  centres,  in  most  cases  under  the  Ministries 
responsible  for  their  areas  of  specialisation  (health,  energy,  geology,  mining,  agriculture, 
water,  fisheries,  etc.).  On  its  part,  the  EU  does  not  directly  manage  universities  and 
research centres, as these belong to the member states in which they are located, although 
it has the capacity to influence them indirectly through its research funding programmes. 

Regarding  research  assessment  systems,  most  LAC  countries  have  scientific 
performance  evaluation  systems  in  place  for  their  teaching  and  research  staff,  either 
through direct evaluations of individual work or through institutional evaluations. In the case 
of Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay, the entities that carry out the 
evaluation work are the same as those responsible for the implementation and performing 
of STI policies. For its part, the EU does not directly assess curricular merits in an isolated 
manner, but always in the framework of the research proposals under evaluation. 

Both  the  European  and  Latin  American  and  the  Caribbean  regions  have  launched 
multilateral cooperation initiatives to modify their research  assessment evaluation systems 
and  align  them  with  the  open  science  principle.  These  are  CoARA  and  CLACSO-FOLEC 
respectively, whose aims are the same. 

124 

 
 
 
Significant presence of open access to academic literature initiatives in LAC aligned 
with the European policy  

All  the  LAC  countries  analysed,  except  Ecuador,  have  developed  open  access  initiatives. 
The  more  advanced  countries  have  national  policies  (Argentina,  Chile,  Colombia,  Mexico 
and Peru), some of them with a legal base. Argentina, Mexico, Peru have specific laws with 
robust  mandates  expressed  through  Law  No.  26.899  on  Open  Access  Institutional  Digital 
Repositories  of  2013,  the  Decree  Law  of  2014  reforming  the  Law  on  Science  and 
Technology  and  the  Organic  Law  of  the  National  Council  of  Science  and  Technology  and 
Law  No.  30.035  regulating  the  National  Digital  Repository  of  Science,  Technology  and 
Innovation of Open Access, published in 2013, respectively. Although they do not have the 
status  of  law,  Chile  and  Colombia  also  have  strong  national  open  access  policies  within 
their  open  science  strategies,  both  published  in  2022  by  ANID  and  Minciencias 
respectively.  EU  policy,  implemented  at  the  time  of  writing  through  the  Horizon  Europe 
programme,  contains  a  robust  mandate  towards  immediate  self-archive  of  academic 
literature  and  FAIR  research  data  that  affects  all  recipients  of  European  public  research 
funding.  

On  the  other  hand,  Brazil,  Costa  Rica,  El  Salvador,  Panama  and  Uruguay  have  only 
institutional policies yet. Despite the lack of national initiatives, their universities and some 
research  performing  organizations  have  specific  mandates  affecting  their  students  and 
researchers  thus  encouraging  them  to  deposit  their  research  outputs  in  their  institutional 
repositories. 

Ecuador  have  specific  policy  statements  and  public  action  narratives  promoting  open 
access  and  open  science  through  which  they  maintain  concrete  actions  that  do  not 
constitute a policy but do establish the basis for its design and further development.  

All  open  access  policies  either  recommend  or  require  self-archiving  of  publicly  funded 
scientific outputs in open access repositories. In this respect, their academic literature open 
access  policies  are  fully  in  line  with  the  European  policy.  However,  their  formal  design, 
scope  and level  of  demand are highly variable.  The  Chilean  policy stands  out  as  the  only 
one  that  admits  in  national  open  access  journals  publication  as  a  valid  venue  for 
compliance with the open access mandate, as an alternative to self-archive in repositories.  

Regarding  research  data,  only  Argentina,  Chile,  Colombia  and  Peru  include  them  in  their 
initiatives’ scope for the promotion of open access, although none of these countries have 
developed  specific  infrastructures  for  data  archiving  beyond  national  or  institutional 
repositories. This situation contrasts with the major commitment made by the EU to build a 
comprehensive ecosystem for the production, curation, archive, and long-term preservation 
of research data through the EOSC. 

There are regional initiatives whose objective is to collaborate in the deployment of actions 
in  favour  of  open  access  that  involve  the  governments  of  LAC  countries,  such  as  LA 
Referencia  and  CTCAP.  However,  no  evidence  has  been  found  of  bilateral  cooperation 
relationships in this area among LAC countries. 

A solid network of interoperable open access repositories 

All LAC and EU countries analysed in this study have an extensive network of open access 
repositories  that  ensures  sufficient  coverage  to  facilitate  the  implementation  of  the 
mandates.  In  some  countries  there  are  funding  agency  repositories,  in  others  there  are 
national  repositories,  in  others  there  are  sectoral  repositories,  and  all  have  institutional 

125 

 
repositories. In addition, the Zenodo repository is broadly used in the EU to host research 
publications,  data  and  other  digital  objects  from  all  over  the  world.  Except  for  Chile,  each 
LAC country has at least one content aggregator and all have a national node representing 
them in LA Reference. Its metadata validation service is based on the OpenAIRE standard. 
This  makes  LAC  repositories  and  European  repositories  interoperable  through  LA 
Referencia. 

Some  LAC  countries  have  national  policies  for  financial  support  and  technical  services  to 
repositories,  while  in  others  the  support  comes  exclusively  from  the  institutions  to  which 
they are attached. In terms of content, the quantity and nature of the documents deposited 
varies  widely.  Some  are  populated  almost  exclusively  with  doctoral  theses  and  master's 
theses, while others are dominated by research articles. The quality of the hosted records is 
also  very  uneven,  as  in  many  cases  the  platforms  do  not  have  the  capacity  to  assign 
persistent identifiers to the work that they store. The situation in the EU is similar. There is 
no  systematic  and  direct  financial  support  to  European  repositories  from  Horizon  Europe 
and the content they host is not subject to any completeness check by the EC. The greater 
financial capacity of European universities and research centres means that the payment of 
licensing fees to providers for the allocation of persistent identifiers is covered and therefore 
repositories offer this service.  

Very uneven support for academic journals 

The non-commercial open access model based on diamond academic journals is the one 
that characterises LAC countries outside their borders. SciELO and Redalyc are pioneering 
initiatives  that  have  had  a  major  impact  on  the  scholarly  communication  market  in  the 
region  and  in  which  Spain  and  Portugal  are  actively  participating.  However,  the  strength 
and impact of these actions have not led to diamond journals being included in open access 
policies (except for Chile), nor have they received the strong support from governments that 
might be expected. Only Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico are of note for the support they 
provide to the diamond academic journals published by their publishing services. This takes 
the  form  of  public  calls  for  financial  support,  national  quality  assessment  systems,  public 
platforms  for academic  publishing  based  on  open  source  software,  training  for publishers, 
centralised management of services such as ISSN, national licences to provide persistent 
identifiers  and  leadership  as  nodes  of  SciELO  and  Redalyc.  Argentina,  Costa  Rica  and 
Uruguay  also  give  formal  support  to  journals,  albeit  with  fewer  resources  and  fewer 
services. By contrast, El Salvador and Panama do not have a policy line of support for their 
academic journals, nor do they have SciELO and Redalyc nodes. Except for Chile, none of 
the  LAC  countries  analysed  have  targeted  incentives  for  research  staff  to  publish  in 
diamond  academic  journals  and  all  have  maintained  licences  for  access  to  commercial 
scientific  resources  (journals,  books,  bibliographic  reference  databases).  The  result  has 
been that, paradoxically, a strong non-commercial open access knowledge communication 
market  has  developed  in  the  region  without  the  necessary  incentives  to  effectively  re-
engage authors, users and assessment agencies. 

its  part, 

the  past  EU  open  access  policies  have  not  addressed  academic 
For 
communication  market  directly.  None  of  its  institutions  negotiates  access  to  scientific 
resources,  nor  does  it  provide  financial  support  services  or  technological  support  of  any 
kind  to  diamond  academic  journals,  beyond  the  actions  that  its  member  states  may  carry 
out in their own national context. This situation has changed with the launching of ORE and 
of the DIAMAS initiative. 

126 

 
 
 
Almost total coverage of systems for curriculum information management.  

All  the  LAC  countries  analysed,  with  the  sole  exception  of  Costa  Rica,  have  national 
curriculum  information  management  systems.  These  are  CVAr  in  Argentina,  CV  Lattes  in 
Brazil, the Researcher’s Portal in Chile, CvLAC in Colombia, REDI in Ecuador, REDISAL in 
El Salvador, CVU in Mexico, CONECTO (VIVO) in Panama, CTI Vitae in Peru and CVUy in 
Uruguay.  In  some  countries,  these  platforms  are  used  to  manage  applications  for  public 
R&D grants and, in those countries where they are more advanced, they are interoperable 
with other scientific information systems.  

In the case of the EU, it is of note that the Europass curriculum has not been designed and 
is  not  conceived  as  an  element  of  implementation  of  open  access  policies,  despite  the 
potential of curriculum information management platforms to facilitate the implementation of 
open science policies. 

Conclusion 

The 11 LAC countries analysed in this study have nominally consistent and homogeneous 
governance  systems.  All  of  them  have  capacity  to  develop  policies  that  change  research 
funding schemes, delivery environments, communication markets and research evaluation 
pathways.  This  report  shows  a  high  penetration  of  open  access  policies,  all  based  on 
scholarly literature deposit in open access repositories and hardly address the management 
of  research  data,  a  robust  network  of  national  and  institutional  repositories  and  almost 
complete  coverage  of  curricular  information  management  systems.  It  also  shows  the 
existence of highly relevant regional initiatives for the promotion of academic journals, that 
nevertheless  receive  very  uneven  levels  of  recognition  and  support  from  national  open 
access policies. 

Latin America and the Caribbean play a leading role in community based, non-commercial 
open  access  initiatives.  Their  lower  percentage  of  investment  in  STI  has  facilitated  the 
in  which 
development  of 
repositories,  journals  and  curricular  information  management  systems  are  based  on  open 
software  platforms  and  offer  alternative  means  of  communication  and  access  to  research 
results to the mainstream channels. 

innovative  solutions  based  on  non-commercial  models 

For  its  part,  the  EU  has  a  complex  but  well-oiled  governance  that  emulates  quite 
successfully the institutions involved in the decision-making and research funding schemes 
of national STI systems though its lack of direct control over the research institutions of its 
member  states.  The  EU  has  devoted  considerable  efforts  to  developing  a  strong  open 
science  policy  and  has  made  this  paradigm  one  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  Horizon 
Europe,  the  European  Union  Framework  Programme  for  Research  and  Innovation  for the 
period 2021-2027. The EU’s open access policy is based on a strong economic investment 
for the creation of large infrastructures research data ecosystem of all areas of knowledge, 
for  the  construction  of  a  common  governance  system,  and  for  ensuring  its  long-term 
sustainability  through  EOSC.  In  addition,  it  has  strengthened  the  role  of  open  access 
repositories  through  the  obligations  of  its  funding  programs’  beneficiaries  and,  so  far,  has 
shown less interest in the other open access digital infrastructures analysed in this  report: 
scholarly journals and curriculum management systems. 

The LAC and EU regions share a common framework of understanding about open science 
and  have  developed  initiatives  strongly  aligned  with  each  other,  despite  the  differences  in 
their respective contexts. Both faced the original challenge of providing open access to the 
society  to  scientific  outputs  through  declarations,  mandates  and  open  access  policies 

127 

 
based  on  digital  infrastructures  and,  recently,  both  have  understood  that  public  action 
should broaden its scope towards open science and focus on new challenges such as the 
advancement of research assessment mechanism. This common endeavour provides with 
a fertile ground and an optimistic framework for collaboration. 

The strong alignment of the policies of both regions, the growing attention and support that 
the  EU  is  giving  to  community-driven  and  non-profit  open  access  initiatives,  and  the 
opportunity  to  share  policies  and  infrastructures  for  research  data  management  bring  a 
suitable space for mutual learning and bi-regional cooperation in open science. The goal is 
achieving a successful development of the EU-LAC Common Research Area. 

Next  chapter  includes  recommendations  for  policy  action  to  advance  in  the  engagement 
between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean on addressing common challenges, 
move towards mutual learning, and achieve a complementarity of approaches and actions 
in open access actions between the two regions. These are considered particularly relevant 
and  timely  to  activate  the  dialogue  and  articulate  cooperation  between  the  two  regions  in 
the field of open access. Actions pursue four main objectives: 

O1. Strengthen the governance and financing of STI systems in LAC. 
O2. Expand the coverage of open access policies in LAC. 
O3. Strengthen open science digital infrastructures in both regions. 
O4. Create research assessment systems aligned with open science principles in both 

regions. 

128 

 
 
 
16.  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY ACTION 

The ultimate goal of this work is to provide essential information to activate the open access 
dialogue between LAC and the EU and to promote an effective collaboration that manages, 
on  the  one  hand,  to  overcome  the  main  differences  between  the  two  regions  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  to  design  a  common  agenda  to  address  the  new  challenges  posed  by  open 
science.  To  this  end,  this  last  chapter  provides  a  series  of  recommendations  for  political 
action structured around the 4 priority objectives, broken down into 7 actions and articulated 
in 19 specific measures. For each of them, a time frame is suggested, and the target actors 
have been identified: the LAC countries at the national level, the LAC countries and the EU, 
or the LAC region as a whole and the EU. 

Table 16. Recommended goals, actions and measures 

O1. Strengthen the governance and the financing of STI systems in LAC. 

Actions 

Actors 

Time frame 

Short term 

Short term 

A1. Spreading good practices in LAC countries. 

M1.  Ongoing 
initiatives  should  be 
strengthened  and  articulated  for  this  action  to  be 
included in their agendas.  

interregional 

M2.  LAC  countries  will  ensure  continuous,  realistic, 
concrete and committed strategic planning for STI, with 
coverage between legislature periods. 

the  economic 
A2.  Guaranting 
sustainability  and  the  scope  of  research  funding 
programmes in LAC countries.  

regularity, 

the 

M3.  Existing  funding  programmes  will  be  supported  and 
strengthened. 

M4.  Funding  programmes  will  be  extended  to  cover  all 
areas requiring support and promotion: research staff training, 
research  projects,  scientific  infrastructures,  networks  and 
innovation actions, to cite a few examples. 

129 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
O2. Expand the coverage of open access policies in LAC. 

Actions 

Actors 

Time frame 

A3.  Developing  open  access  policies  in  those  LAC 
countries that do not yet have them. These policies will: 

M5. Be coherent with those of the rest of the  LAC region 
and with the EU. 

M6. Address FAIR management of research data. 

Medium 
term 

O3. Strengthen open science digital infrastructures in both regions. 

Actions 

Actors 

Time frame 

Medium 
term 

Medium 
term 

A4.  Funding  non-commercial,  open  source  repositories, 
diamond journals and curriculum management systems. 

M7.  The  EU  and  LAC  will  create  public  calls  specifically 
aimed at developing, sustaining, improving coverage and 
strengthening interoperability of digital infrastructures. 

M8.  The  EU  will  include  LAC  countries  in  all  funding  calls 
for for this purpose. 

Jointly 

A5. 
and 
technological solutions for digital infrastructures. These 
solutions will: 

technical 

political, 

seeking 

M9. Involve LAC countries in European infrastructures such 
as EOSC and ORE. 

M10.  Promote  the  implementation  of  open  source  software 
based non-commercial digital platforms. 

M11. Support diamond open access journals. 

M12. Promote multilingualism in scientific communication. 

M13. Extend the use of non-commercial and decentralised 
metadata standards and persistent identifiers. 

130 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
O4. Create research assessment systems aligned with open science principles in 
both regions. 

Actions 

Actors 

Time frame 

Medium 
term 

Medium 
term 

A6.  Creating 
research  assessment 
systems aimed at the promotion of open science. These 
systems will: 

institutional 

M14.  Require  open  access  mandates  compliance  to  all 
scientific outputs to be assessed. 

M15.  Include  all  research  outputs  such  as  data,  software, 
protocols, methodologies, open educational resources, citizen 
science  activities,  scientific  dissemination,  etc.  under 
assessment processes.  

M16.  Avoid  the  use  of 
indicators for scientific quality measurement. 

journal 

impact  bibliometric 

M17. Assess the social impact of knowledge. 

A7. Cooperating for a comprehensive and coordinated 
reform of research assessment systems.  

M18.  Synergies  will be sought  between the existing  FOLEC 
(LAC) and COARA (EU) initiatives.  

M19.  The  EU  will  include  LAC  countries  in  programmes 
and  initiatives to  be  launched  to  reform  research evaluation 
systems. 

131 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEXES 

132 

 
 
Table A.1. Policies and digital infrastructures in open access, and STI governance bodies in LAC countries 

Country 

Argentina 

Brazil 

Chile 

Colombia 

Costa Rica 

Ecuador 

El Salvador 

Mexico 

Panama 

Peru 

Uruguay 

National OA 
policy 

OA legal 
framework 

Institutional 
OA policies 

National 
repository 
aggregator 

National 
academic Journal 
aggregator 

Curriculum 
management 
systems 

Governance 

Research 
Funding 

Research 
Assessment 

Policy or 
promotion of 
open access 

It has 

Institution responsible for the 

MINCyT  

MINCyT, Agencia I 
+ D+i, CONICET 

MINCyT, Agencia 
I+D+i, CONICET, 

MINCyT  

MCTI  

MCTI, Finep, 
CNPq, CAPES, 
FAPs 

CAPES  

IBICT  

MinCiencia  

ANID  

CNA + ANID 

ANID 

MINCIENCIAS  

MICITT  

MINCIENCIAS  
GOB. 
TERRITORIALES 

MICITT 
CONARE, 
Universides 

MINCIENCIAS  

MINCIENCIAS  

MICITT  

SENESCYT 

SENESCYT 

SENESCYT 
+ CACES 

SENESCYT 

CONACyT  

CONACyT, 
Universides 

CONACyT  

CONACyT  

CONACyT  

CONACyT  

CONACyT  

CONACyT  

SENACyT  

SENACyT  

SENACyT  

SENACyT  

CONCYTEC  

CONCYTEC  

CONCYTEC  

CONCYTEC  

MEC  

ANII 

ANII 

ANII +  
UdelaR 

Source: Compiled by the authors. 

133 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table  A.2.  Latin  American  and  Caribbean  countries'  participation  in 
regional open access initiatives 

Country 

LA Referencia 

Latindex 

SciELO 

Redalyc 

CLACSO 

Argentina 

Brazil 

Chile 

Colombia 

Costa Rica 

Ecuador 

El Salvador 

Mexico 

Panama 

Peru 

Uruguay 

Source: Compiled by the authors. 

134 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure  A.1:  Intensity  of  national  open  access  actions  and  of  the 
involvement  in  regional  open  access  initiatives  in  Latin  American  and 
Caribbean countries 

Note:  high  intensity  countries:  Argentina,  Chile  Colombia,  Mexico  and  Peru.  Moderate  intensity:  Brazil,  Costa  Rica,  El 
Salvador, Panama and Uruguay. Low intensity: Ecuador. 
Source: Compiled by the authors. 

135 

 
 
 
 
 
Table A.3. Main STI indicators in Latin American and 
Caribbean countries (2019) 

Researchers per thousand 
labour force * 

Country's relative R&D effort as 
a percentage of GDP (in %)** 

Country 

Argentina 

Bolivia 

Brazil 

Chile 

Colombia 

Costa Rica 

Cuba 

Ecuador 

El Salvador 

Guatemala 

Honduras 

Jamaica 

Mexico 

Nicaragua 

Panama 

Paraguay 

Peru 

Puerto Rico 

Trinidad and Tobago 

Uruguay 

Venezuela 

5.14 

0.32 

3.99 

1.85 

0.85 

1.74 

1.69 

1.58 

0.33 

0.07 

0.16 

0.50 

1.16 

0.34 

0.31 

0.47 

0.44 

1.85 

2.23 

1.78 

0.44 

0.52 

- 

1.17 

0.34 

0.20 

0.39 

0.52 

0.44 

0.16 

0.05 

0.06 

- 

0.30 

- 

0.23 

0.16 

0.17 

0.43 

0.06 

0.45 

0.69 

Notes: * Reference year for El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, 2019; for Brazil and Costa Rica, 2018; for Jamaica and 
Panama, 2017; for Puerto Rico, 2015; for Ecuador and Bolivia, 2014; and for Nicaragua, 2012. Remaining countries, 2020. 
** Reference year for Honduras, 2019; for Costa Rica, 2018; for Puerto Rico, 2015; for Venezuela,  2016; and for Ecuador 
and Bolivia, 2014. Remaining countries, 2020. 
Source: Science and Technology Indicators Network -Iberoamerican and Inter-American- (RICYT). 

136 

 
 
 
 
Table A.4. Number of open access repositories in Latin American and 
Caribbean countries registered in OpenDOAR 

Country 

Total 

Distribution 
of the total 
(%) 

Institutional 

Distribution 
of total 
institutional 
repositories 
(%) 

Disciplinary  Aggregator  Governmental 

Argentina 

77 

10.45 

2 

- 

11 

3 

3 

1 

- 

1 

- 

- 

- 

- 

1 

3 

- 

- 

- 

3 

- 

- 

- 

1 

5 

- 

4 

3 

1 

1 

2 

- 

1 

- 

- 

- 

- 

5 

1 

- 

- 

1 

- 

- 

1 

1 

5 

- 

10 

- 

2 

- 

- 

2 

- 

- 

- 

1 

- 

- 

- 

1 

- 

16 

- 

- 

2 

- 

28 

26 

39 

Bolivia 

Brazil 

Chile 

Colombia 

Costa Rica 

Cuba 

Dominican Republic 

Ecuador 

El Salvador 

Guatemala 

Honduras 

Jamaica 

Mexico 

Nicaragua 

Panama 

Paraguay 

Peru 

Puerto Rico 

Trinidad and Tobago 

Uruguay 

Venezuela 

TOTAL 

65 

3 

3 

0.41 

156 

21.17 

131 

27 

3.66 

105 

14.25 

10 

16 

7 

38 

9 

1 

5 

6 

51 

11 

8 

2 

1.36 

2.17 

0.95 

5.16 

1.22 

0.14 

0.68 

0.81 

6.92 

1.49 

1.09 

0.27 

21 

99 

8 

14 

4 

37 

9 

1 

4 

5 

43 

10 

6 

2 

10.12 

0.47 

20.4 

3.27 

15.42 

1.25 

2.18 

0.62 

5.76 

1.4 

0.16 

0.62 

0.78 

6.7 

1.56 

0.93 

0.31 

177 

24.02 

157 

24.45 

1 

1 

10 

16 

0.14 

0.14 

1.36 

2.17 

737 

100 

1 

1 

7 

14 

642 

0.16 

0.16 

1.09 

2.18 

100 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on OpenDOAR data. Access date: August 2022. 

137 

 
 
 
Table A.5. Number of journals in DOAJ, Latindex (catalogue 2.0), SciELO 
and Redalyc in Latin American and Caribbean countries 

Country 

Argentina 

Bolivia 

Brazil 

Chile 

Colombia 

Costa Rica 

Cuba 

Dominican Republic 

Ecuador 

El Salvador 

Guatemala 

Honduras 

Mexico 

Nicaragua 

Panama 

Paraguay 

Peru 

Puerto Rico 

Uruguay 

Venezuela 

TOTAL 

DOAJ 

361 

8 

1,642 

150 

428 

73 

126 

7 

87 

4 

 - 

4 

202 

11 

5 

27 

121 

4 

33 

39 

Latindex 
(catalogue 2.0) 

SciELO 
(current) 

Redalyc 

409 

9 

291 

182 

69 

95 

63 

15 

247 

5 

12 

8 

325 

18 

29 

18 

192 

11 

45 

31 

96 

34 

316 

132 

203 

49 

75 

-  

29 

 - 

 - 

 - 

100 

11 

332 

99 

261 

38 

44 

1 

27 

 - 

 - 

 - 

155 

257 

 - 

 - 

20 

42 

 - 

27 

37 

 - 

2 

 - 

38 

5 

12 

77 

3,332 

2,074 

1,215 

1,304 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on data from DOAJ, Latindex, SciELO and Redalyc. Access date: December 2022. 

138 

 
 
 
Table A.6. Latin American and Caribbean countries presence in 
international open access initiatives  

Country 

Argentina 

Bolivia 

Brazil 

Chile 

Colombia 

Costa Rica 

Cuba 

Ecuador 

El Salvador 

Guatemala 

Haiti 

Honduras 

Jamaica 

Mexico 

Nicaragua 

Panama 

Paraguay 

Peru 

Puerto Rico 

 Dominican Republic 

Trinidad and Tobago 

Uruguay 

Venezuela 

Country with 
some repository/ 
Aggregator in 
OpenAIRE 

Number of 
Repositories and 
Aggregators in 
OpenAIRE 

Journal 
archive 
(OpenAIRE) 

Country 
with a 
member in 
COAR 

Number of 
members 
in COAR 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

9 

- 

4 

23 

40 

1 

3 

2 

1 

- 

- 

- 

- 

8 

- 

3 

1 

5 

- 

- 

- 

1 

2 

288 

7 

1,755 

706 

447 

73 

92 

113 

5 

5 

- 

- 

- 

170 

13 

2 

26 

108 

- 

7 

- 

31 

41 

Yes 

- 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

Yes 

- 

- 

- 

Yes 

- 

- 

- 

Yes 

- 

2 

- 

1 

2 

2 

1 

1 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

1 

- 

- 

- 

2 

- 

- 

- 

1 

- 

Source: Compiled by the authors, based on OpenAIRE and COAR data. Access date: August 2022. 

139 

 
 
 
Figure A.2: No. of institutional repositories from LAC countries registered 
in OpenDOAR 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on OpenDOAR data. 

140 

 
 
 
 
 
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GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE EU 

In person 
All over the European Union there are hundreds of Europe Direct centres. You can find the address of 
the centre nearest you online (european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/meet-us_en). 

On the phone or in writing 
Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European Union. 
You can contact this service: 
  by freephone: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (certain operators may charge for these calls), 
  at the following standard number: +32 22999696,  
  via the following form: european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/write-us_en. 

FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE EU 

Online 
Information about the European Union in all the official languages of the EU is available on the Europa 
website (european-union.europa.eu). 

EU publications 
You can view or order EU publications at op.europa.eu/en/publications. Multiple copies of free 
publications can be obtained by contacting Europe Direct or your local documentation centre 
(european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/meet-us_en). 

EU law and related documents 
For access to legal information from the EU, including all EU law since 1951 in all the official language 
versions, go to EUR-Lex (eur-lex.europa.eu). 

EU open data 
The portal data.europa.eu provides access to open datasets from the EU institutions, bodies and 
agencies. These can be downloaded and reused for free, for both commercial and non-commercial 
purposes. The portal also provides access to a wealth of datasets from European countries. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
− 

Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union 
are strategic regions for one another and natural partners to 
collaborate in the development of research and innovation 
policy priorities such as open science. This work describes 
the open access policies for scientific production that have 
been developed in LAC and in the EU, analyses the 
common challenges and convergence avenue for both 
regions to establish a policy dialogue, and proposes specific 
recommendations for a joint policy action on which to base 
intra-LAC and EU-LAC collaboration. These are structured 
into 4 priority objectives broken down into 7 actions and 19 
concrete measures. 

Studies and reports