Social science research: An analysis of BRICS countries

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to conduct a quantitative analysis and comparison of social science research output among BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries. Data were collected through the open-access SCImago portal and Scopus. The number of documents and citable documents, global share and ranking, the number of citations per document, the h-index, and international collaboration were all analyzed. Except for China, none of the BRICS countries made the top 10 global rankings during the 1996–2021 period, but three of them (China, India, and Russia) did so in 2021. China has the most documents and the greatest h-index score, whereas South Africa has the highest number of citations. For China, on the other hand, more than half of the citations are self-citations. More than 50% of Russian documents are not cited in the subsequent literature. The study’s findings highlight publication trends and collaboration pattern among the BRICS countries in social sciences, which benefit the academic community, decision-makers, and the economy of the BRICS countries.