Bibliometry of Panama publications in the Science Citation Index Expanded: publication type, language, fields, authors and institutions

Panama is a small Central American country for which apparently there are no specific scientometric studies. We analyzed 4 854 research documents originating in Panama in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED). Most are formal articles and nearly all are in English. The main fields are ecology, botany, zoology, evolution and aquatic biology. Most collaboration is done with USA, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, and Brazil and the largest numbers of articles are published by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the University of Panama, the Gorgas Institute, the Children's Hospital, the Institute of Scientific Research and Advanced Technology Services, the Technological University of Panama, the Ministry of Health, and the University of Chiriqui. Keyword terms show a concentration on tropical forest trees, diversity and variation, considering mostly the effects of particular physical and biological causes. Output has grown steadily for several decades and continues to grow. The SCI-EXPANDED citations remain relatively stable and the lifespan of articles exceeds 20 years, with top citation four years after publication. The Impact Factor as currently measured is not appropriate to know the impact of Panamanian research. Our results only apply to the literature in the SCI-EXPANDED. Panama has nearly 100 scientific journals that are not taken into account by the SCI-EXPANDED. Thus the full productivity of authors and institutions, and their impact, remain to be studied, but our data represent a valid baseline for future research.