Somes patterns of Cuban scientific publication in Scopus: the current situation and challenges

"This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Scientometrics. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1568-8”.
Cuban scientific output is analyzed for the period 2003-2011, in Scopus database. Based on a set of bibliometric indicators, we try to shed light on the evolution of the volume of scientific output in Cuban and foreign journals, and its distribution and visibility by quartiles. Also analyzed is the citation per document received, broken down by language of publication and type of collaboration. The results reveal patterns and strategies of expansion in scientific communication that may be useful for academic and institutional decision-makers, suggesting means of amending editorial policy to improve scientific quality and international diffusion of output. It is hoped that these results will spur debate about research policies and actions to be taken to enhance the quality of research.
This work was made possible through the Short-Term Visiting Fellows Program of the CSIC Instituto de Políticas y Bienes Públicos (IPP) Madrid, Spain