Reading Between the Lines: What Bibliometrics Teaches Us About Science

Leer entre líneas: lo que la bibliometría nos enseña sobre la ciencia

This article is the result of my participation in the Latin American School of Scientometrics, held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, in February 2025. In this space for training and debate, researchers from diverse disciplines explored advanced methodologies for analyzing scientific production. During these sessions, it became clear that bibliometric reviews are not merely descriptive tools; rather, they are essential instruments for structuring and making sense of knowledge production. Their value is not limited to quantifying publications or citations, but also lies in their capacity to identify patterns of collaboration, detect gaps in the literature, and project emerging lines of research. By analyzing the evolution of a field over time, these reviews not only facilitate an understanding of the dynamics of knowledge, but also offer a strategic perspective on how and where science is moving.