Funding of research agendas about the global south in Latin America and the Caribbean: lexicometric and content analysis in Latin American scientific production

The Global South has increasingly become a recurring research agenda, often originating in the Global North. There is a need to understand what these research agendas consist of and what role Latin America and the Caribbean play in defining and/or reproducing them. The purpose of this study is to understand the agendas of the Global South supported by northern agencies, based on a methodological proposal that combines lexicometric analysis of abstracts, grant data-based content analysis on scientific production, and funding data. The study identified four central agendas in the literature: (1) State role and the strength of non-western countries cooperation; (2) Decolonial research, citizen, and feminist perspectives; (3) Academic Collaboration and Education in circuits of science production and (4) Developmentalism in underdeveloped Global South countries. We identified different types of northern organizations, such as non-departmental public bodies, philanthropic and charitable foundations, guiding an agenda based on precariousness, poverty, and underdevelopment, while Latin America and the Caribbean reinforce an agenda taking the South as an example that can be applied in the North. We highlight an emergence of a multipolar world and the need to strengthen research in Latin America and the Caribbean in this context. O Sul Global se tornou cada vez mais uma agenda de pesquisa recorrente, frequentemente originaria do Norte Global. No entanto, e necessario entender no que consistem essas agendas de pesquisa e qual e o papel da America Latina e do Caribe em defini-la e/ou reproduzi-la. O objetivo deste estudo e entender as agendas do Sul Global apoiadas por agencias do norte, com base em uma proposta metodologica que combina analise lexicometrica de resumos, analise de conteudo baseada em dados de concessao em producao cientifica e dados de financiamento. O estudo identificou quatro agendas centrais na literatura: (1) Papel do Estado e a forca da cooperacao em paises nao ocidentais; (2) Pesquisa decolonial, perspectiva cidada e feminista; (3) Colaboracao academica e educacao em circuitos de producao cientifica e (4) Desenvolvimentismo em paises subdesenvolvidos do Sul Global. Por outro lado, identificamos diferentes tipos de organizacoes do Norte, como orgaos publicos nao departamentais, fundacoes filantropicas e de caridade, orientando uma agenda baseada em precariedade, pobreza e subdesenvolvimento, enquanto a America Latina e o Caribe reforcam uma agenda tomando o Sul como um exemplo que pode ser aplicado no Norte. No entanto, destacou-se a emergencia do mundo multipolar e a necessidade de fortalecer a pesquisa na America Latina e no Caribe nesse contexto. El Sur Global se ha convertido cada vez mas en una agenda recurrente de investigacion, a menudo originada en el Norte Global. Es necesario entender en que consisten estas agendas de investigacion y que papel desempenan America Latina y el Caribe en su definicion y/o reproduccion. El objetivo de este estudio es comprender las agendas del Sur Global respaldadas por agencias del Norte, basandose en una propuesta metodologica que combina analisis lexicometricos de resumenes, analisis de contenido basado en datos de subvenciones sobre produccion cientifica y datos de financiacion. El estudio identifico cuatro agendas centrales en la literatura: (1) Rol del Estado y la fuerza de la cooperacion de paises no occidentales; (2) Investigacion decolonial, perspectivas ciudadanas y feministas; (3) Colaboracion academica y educacion en circuitos de produccion cientifica y (4) Desarrollismo en paises del Sur Global subdesarrollados. Por otro lado, identificamos diferentes tipos de organizaciones del Norte, como organismos publicos no departamentales, fundaciones filantropicas y beneficas, guiando una agenda basada en la precariedad, la pobreza y el subdesarrollo, mientras que America Latina y el Caribe refuerzan una agenda tomando al Sur como ejemplo que puede ser aplicado en el Norte. Se destaco una emergencia del mundo multipolar y la necesidad de fortalecer la investigacion en America Latina y el Caribe en este contexto.

Automated summary

This study aims to understand the agendas of the Global South supported by northern agencies. Through a methodological proposal that combines lexicometric analysis, grant data-based content analysis, and funding data, four central agendas were identified in the literature: state role and non-western countries cooperation; decolonial research and feminist perspectives; academic collaboration and education in science production; and developmentalism in underdeveloped Global South countries. Additionally, the study found that Latin America and the Caribbean reinforce an agenda based on the South that could be applied in the North, highlighting the emergence of a multipolar world and the need to strengthen research in the region.