Scientometrics originate from the analysis of scientific publications, the most popular ways for disseminating scientific information within the scientific community. With the increasing use of... Show moreScientometrics originate from the analysis of scientific publications, the most popular ways for disseminating scientific information within the scientific community. With the increasing use of scientometric data in research management and research evaluation, various analyses can be conducted to better understand different aspects of scientific activities. On the one hand, the analysis of scientific publications from the Middle East and North Africa region opens up a range of possibilities to characterize its science systems. Large scale analyses of bibliographic metadata capture the stories of how the scientific workforce is connected, funded and mobile within diverse science systems. On the other hand, scientometric data is also used as a guide to transform the science systems. The main objective of this dissertation is to better understand recent science systems changes in the Middle East and North Africa by examining several of their facets and their recent evolution. Show less
Funding acknowledgments are important objects of study in the context of science funding. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to analyze the funding acknowledgments found in 2.3 million... Show moreFunding acknowledgments are important objects of study in the context of science funding. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to analyze the funding acknowledgments found in 2.3 million scientific publications published between 2008 and 2021 by authors affiliated with research institutions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The aim is to identify the major funders, assess their contribution to national scientific publications, and gain insights into the funding mechanism in relation to collaboration and publication. Publication data from the Web of Science is examined to provide key insights about funding activities. Saudi Arabia and Qatar lead the region, as about half of their publications include acknowledgments to funding sources. Most MENA countries exhibit strong linkages with foreign agencies, mainly due to a high level of international collaboration. The distinction between domestic and international publications reveals some differences in terms of funding structures. For instance, Turkey and Iran are dominated by one or two major funders whereas a few other countries like Saudi Arabia showcase multiple funders. Iran and Kuwait are examples of countries where research is mainly funded by domestic funders. The government and academic sectors mainly fund scientific research in MENA whereas the industry sector plays little or no role in terms of research funding. Lastly, the qualitative analyses provide more context into the complex funding mechanism. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the funding structure in MENA countries and provide insights to funders and research managers to evaluate the funding landscape. Show less
This study explores how scientometric data and indicators are used to transform science systems in a selection of countries in the Middle East and North Africa. I propose that scientometric-based... Show moreThis study explores how scientometric data and indicators are used to transform science systems in a selection of countries in the Middle East and North Africa. I propose that scientometric-based rules inform such transformation. First, the research shows how research managers adopt scientometrics as ‘global standards’. I also show how several scientometric data and indicators are adopted following a ‘glocalization’ process. Finally, I demonstrate how research managers use this data to inform decision-making and policymaking processes. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the usage of scientometric indicators in the context of assessing research institutions and researchers based on their publishing activities. Related to these assessments, I also discuss how such data transforms and adapts local science systems to meet so-called ‘global standards’. Show less
Recent gender policies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have improved legal equality for women with noticeable effects in some countries. The implications of these policies on... Show moreRecent gender policies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have improved legal equality for women with noticeable effects in some countries. The implications of these policies on science, however, are not well-understood. This study applies a bibliometric lens to describe the landscape of gender disparities in scientific research in MENA. Specifically, we examine 1.7 million papers indexed in the Web of Science published by 1.1 million authors from MENA between 2008 and 2020. We used bibliometric indicators to analyze potential disparities between men and women in the share of authors, research productivity, and seniority in authorship. The results show that gender parity is far from being achieved in MENA. Overall, men authors obtain higher representation, research productivity, and seniority. But some countries stand out: Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey, Algeria and Egypt have higher shares of women researchers compared to the rest of MENA countries. The UAE, Qatar, and Jordan have shown progress in terms of women participation in science, but Saudi Arabia lags behind. We find that women are more likely to stop publishing than men and that men publish on average between 11 and 51% more than women, with this gap increasing over time. Finally, men, on average, achieved senior positions in authorship faster than women. Our longitudinal study contributes to a better understanding of gender disparities in science in MENA which is catching up in terms of policy engagement and women representation. However, the results suggest that the effects of the policy changes have yet to materialize into distinct improvements in women’s participation and performance in science. Show less
