A bibliometric methodology to unveil territorial inequities in the scientific wealth to combat COVID-19

TL;DR

This paper introduces a bibliometric methodology to evaluate and compare scientific research output across territories, revealing significant regional disparities in Italy's COVID-19 medical research, especially between the north and south.

Contribution

It presents a novel bibliometric approach to measure territorial scientific wealth at the field level, specifically applied to COVID-19 medical research in Italy.

Findings

Significant north-south disparities in scientific research output.

South Italy shows notable weaknesses in COVID-19 related medical research.

Policy implications for addressing regional inequalities in scientific knowledge.

Abstract

In this paper we develop a methodology to assess the scientific wealth of territories at field level. Our methodology uses a bibliometric approach based on the observation of academic research performance and overall scientific production in each territory. We apply it to assess disparities in the Italian territories in the medical specialties at the front line of the COVID-19 emergency. Italy has been the first among western countries to be severely affected by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study reveals remarkable inequities across territories, with scientific weaknesses concentrated in the south. Policies for rebalancing the north-south divide should also consider, in addition to tangible assets, the gap in production and availability of quality medical knowledge.