Scientific dependence in health studies is a project carried out by researchers of the University Miguel Hernández. The study was part of “Dominance and leadership” in research activities. It has been recently published by the prestigious journal PLOS ONE.

What is the project’s scientific dependence in health studies UMH about?

The UMH has collaborated in the international project called “Dominance and leadership in research activities”. The study, published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, confirms the scientific unit”of developing countries with respect to Europe and the United States in:

• Tropical Medicine,
• Infectious diseases,
• Parasitology and
• Pediatrics.

The research work is focused on scientific collaboration and cooperation between developed countries as a tool for the improvement of the scientific production.

Who are involved in the project of scientific dependency in health studies UMH?

The professor of the Department of History of Science and Documentationn de la Universitat de València, Gregorio González, leads the research. The professor says: “we have found, through a so-called indicator dominance index -index of domain-, a situation of scientific dependence of least developed countries. This variable is in relation to the high scientific progress”. Also, researchers have added that the work is carried out “in key areas of the health sciences, to reduce the high prevalence of tropical, infectious and parasite-induced diseases, as well as high rates of” infant mortality in the least developed countries, is essential the investigation developed and led by these countries”.
 

Together with the main investigator, one must emphasize by the UMH to the Professor José Manuel Ramos . The teacher and researcher of the Department of Clinical Medicine of the UMH notes:

• The low participation of the least developed countries ( M and L Human Development Index (HDI ) in the nuclear journals of Tropical medicine, Infectious diseases, Parasitology and Pediatrics,
• all this in spite of the fact that these are four disciplines of great relevance for the health systems of these countries,
• it brings together almost half of the world’s population.

What are the conclusions of the project of scientific dependence in health studies UMH?

The researchers point out that it has been shown that in these countries the research is testimonial and is connected to the interests of more developed countries. It is said that even of the term neocolonialism scientific . Therefore, the research promotes scientific collaboration as an integrating element of less developed countries in research activities.

The multidisciplinary staff has detected links of cooperation between developed countries and other low or medium level of development. The study’s authors argue that these cooperative relationships “establish a prominent mechanism for integration in the research activities of these countries”. Even highlight the problems regarding geographical proximity and socio-political variables, common language, or have been former colonies of emerging countries as variables that enhance that work together.
The conclusions ensure that economic powers lead positions in medical and scientific collaboration networks. They establish links of cooperation between countries. Examples such as Brazil, China, India and South Africa are characterized by a low degree of collaborative that territories of their environment.

What was it taken into account in the project Scientific dependence in health studies UMH?

In the design of the study were located the journals published between 2011 and 2015: Tropical Medicine, Infectious diseases and Parasitology Pediatrics, of the Science Citation Index Expanded. Countries carried out publications, as well as the institutional affiliation and contact address fields were also analyzed. After that, countries are classified geographically and according to its human development index. The HDI evaluates and compares international collaboration, the positioning and the influence or dominance of a few countries and others. In addition to leadership and impact of the work according to the established collaboration.
The research “Scientific dependence in health studies” involving researchers from:
En el estudio “Dependencia científica en estudios de salud” han participado investigadores de:

• General University Hospital of Alicante,
• National Hospital Guillermo Almenara in Perú and the
• Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information