A cross-sectional study of the scientific production of doctoral graduates in Peru

Objective: To determine the scientific production of doctoral graduates in Peru. Methods: We made a descriptive cross-sectional study with a quantitative analysis approach of the scientific production of doctoral graduates in all areas of science registered in the National Council of Science, Technology and Technological Innovation of Peru. Results: We analyzed the scientific production of 942 doctoral graduates with a median time since the graduation of 84 months (interquartile range: 36 to 132). In total, 532 (56.48%) had published an article in their lifetime. The median of published articles was four (interquartile range: 2 to 12), and the median H-index of the doctoral graduates who had published was two (interquartile range: 1 to 5). We found that the number of publications and H-index was statistically different according to the doctorate area of science (p < 0.05 for both). Natural Sciences (69.13%), Engineering (67.47%), and Health Sciences (67.08%) had the highest proportion of doctoral graduates with at least one publication. Regarding gender and university of origin (foreign or Peruvian), it was found a difference concerning the number of articles published and the H-index (p < 0.05 for both) being that male and doctoral graduates with a foreign doctoral degree had higher scientific production. Conclusions: Only six out of 10 Peruvian doctoral graduates have published at some point in their life. The areas of science with the highest production by doctoral graduates were Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Health Sciences. There is higher scientific production in males and graduates from a foreign university.