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The Dynamics of Social Research Production, Circulation and use in Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru: A Comparative Study

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Name of the Asset | The Dynamics of Social Research Production, Circulation and use in Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru: A Comparative Study.
Type of Asset | Working Paper
Date | February 2016

Summary

The importance of social research in promoting public policies that are more transparent, democratic, and sustainable over time is widely acknowledged. This research study seeks to provide insights into the working of social research production systems in developing countries, where research systems are weaker. 

Findings are based on a comparative study of case studies of the three Latin American countries-, namely, Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru- using documentary analysis and in-depth interviews. The studies show important commonalities such as the weak or null presence of the state in social research policy and funding. All three countries are also marked by a common instrumentalist approach to social research production, albeit of a technocratic kind in Peru and Paraguay, while in Bolivia it is of a political/populist nature. Together, these factors have a strong impact on the low research outputs of these countries as compared to other countries in the region. Thesre three countries are different, too, for instance in the degree of institutional development and the professionalization of research work, where Peruú stands out as the mostre developed of the three countries.  

The study indicates the need for reform by capitalizing on the current capacity for research, and it raises a series of questions regarding the relationship between research centers, think tanks and universities. It explores, as the need to strengthen the relationship between policy and social science research recognized in developed countries as a core element of the development process.

Authors:
  • María Balarin : GRADE, Peru (Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo, Lima, Peru)
  • Ignacio González : CADEP, Paraguay (Centro de Análisis y Difusión de la Economía, Hernandarias, Paraguay)
  • Fernando Masi : CADEP, Paraguay (Centro de Análisis y Difusión de la Economía, Hernandarias, Paraguay)
  • Natalia Peres : ARU Foundation, La Paz, Bolivia
  • Belén Servín : CADEP, Paraguay (Centro de Análisis y Difusión de la Economía, Hernandarias, Paraguay)
  • Miguel Vera : ARU Foundation, La Paz, Bolivia
Country and/or Region | Latin America Peru/Paraguay/Bolivia
Name of the Program | Doing Research
Funder(s) |  Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Française de Développement, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, and Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation
 
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