Statistical Analysis of Scientific Metrics in High Energy, Cosmology, and Astroparticle Physics in Latin America

We perform a comprehensive statistical analysis of key scientific metrics to evaluate the productivity and impact of research conducted in Latin American countries within the fields of High Energy Physics, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (HECAP). Using data from the widely used open-access digital library INSPIRE-HEP, we provide a detailed assessment of the scientific contributions from the continent over the past 70 years. We provide data for the evolution of the overall productivity in the region relative to the rest of the world, comparing the productivity of each country, number of active researchers, number of publications, citations, h-index in total and relative to the population and number of researchers, as well as the productivity and impact compared to the percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) invested in research, and the Human Development Index (HDI) of each country. We also analyse collaborations among the different countries, as well as collaborations with the rest of the world. Additionally, we studied the gender gap evolution over the same period. This pioneering analysis, which relies solely on open data, can serve as an essential resource for researchers and policymakers alike. It aims to empower scientists with insights into the significance of their contributions to both regional and global research. Moreover, it provides both researchers and policymakers with critical quantitative data, strengthening their understanding of the progress in scientific productivity over the years to better support scientific endeavours in Latin America.