China Social Science Review

No.3, 2020

Developmental Trends in Latin American Studies in China: An Analysis of CNKI Documentation Big Data (1979-2019)

(Abstract)

Guo Cunhai, Zhang Yichuan, Zhou Xiaoyuan and Xiao Hong

Taking as our statistical source philosophy and social sciences journal articles, doctoral and master’s theses and books gathered by CNKI from 1979 to 2019, we use bibliometrics and comparative analysis methods to provide a quantitative analysis of various evaluation indicators and data on Latin American studies in China over the past forty years that objectively presents the research quality and developmental trends in this field in terms of developmental trends, topical research, research institutions and scholars, high-impact literature, transmission vehicles, and regional distribution. During this period, the number of research papers has grown steadily. The number of funded papers has also increased significantly, as has the amount of funding received. In terms of the distribution of high-frequency keywords in the literature, Latin American studies in China are strongly concentrated on regional studies, major country studies, and topical research. Geographically, Latin American research institutions and scholars are strongly concentrated in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Hubei and Guangdong, with the Institute of Latin American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences enjoying an absolute advantage. In terms of citation statistics, the number of works on Latin American studies has grown rapidly, with diverse disciplines and a typological bias toward translations.