Publishing in STS: agendas, themes and practices among centers and peripheries

The aim of this presentation is to analyze the structure and dynamics of publication in the STS field, reflexively applying some categories of analysis that we have used to study other fields. To do so, we conducted first a quantitative (bibliometric) methodology to obtain a general map of the origin of the authors in 12 of the most important Journals in the field, for a 10-years period, which expectably confirmed the predominance of Euro-American world, although with some interesting nuances. Then, with interviews with the editors, and analyzing a selection of article summaries, we want to try to establish if there are thematic patterns or systematic practices that differentiate the type of published text according to the regional or institutional origin. Specifically, we ask: Is there any relation between the traditional object of STS (hard sciences in the North) and alternative objects (hard sciences in the South)? When peripheral hard sciences and scientific practices are studies, is it done under the same methodological and theoretical assumptions than in the North or can we perceive alternate ways of conducting STS research in the peripheries? Is there a pattern of specialization specific to each of these contexts (e.g. theoretical vs. empirical works; descriptive vs. explanatory works, etc.)? What influence does the origin of the author, and its object of analysis, have on its reception in mainstream Journals? We intend to advance a critical look at the current transnational opening of STS, in particular through publication practices, one of the fundamental axis of these dynamics.