Scientometric indicators as a means to assess the performance of state supported universities in developing countries: The Chilean case

Chilean universities are responsible for more than 80% of the science produced in the country, which in the last 20 years with some periods of great difficulties, has grown more than 600%. One of the underlying problems of the governments of developing countries to delineate suitable strategies to allocate efficiently the few funds available, has been the absence of clarity to distinguish the individuals and centers committed with competitive scientific research. As a consequence, the state funds, which in part are scarce because the region invest to little in science, do not always reach to the right people and to the right places, amplifying the already existing problems for the good scientists that resist to emigrate. To evaluate the corresponding situation in Chile, and to follow the results of substantial actions to support the scientific activity in the country, we have examined the performance of state financed universities.