EPISTEMOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF SCIENTIFIC METRICS: FROM THE STATISTICAL TRADITION TO CONTEMPORARY CRITICAL APPROACHES

Abstract

The process of institutionalizing science is a complex phenomenon marked by interactions among institutions, scientific communities, evaluation instruments, and social practices that shape the production and circulation of knowledge. In this context, the Metric Studies of Scientific Information, particularly Bibliometrics and Scientometrics, have become essential for understanding and measuring scientific activity. However, in response to the demands of different scientific communities, the conceptions and applicability of these studies have expanded: from a purely statistical approach to historically informed, sociological, critical, and contextualized perspectives on the measurement of science. The objective of this study is to stimulate reflections on the epistemological evolution of traditional scientific information metrics, tracing the path from the early ideals of a strictly statistical bibliometrics to the conception of a complex, contextualized, and critical Scientometrics. This is a qualitative, exploratory research developed through a narrative review, drawing on contributions from classical and contemporary authors in Information Science. It highlights debates regarding the legitimacy, impact, methodological limitations, and political-epistemological implications of scientific metrics. The study concludes that the adoption of effective metrics requires a critical analytical stance and a non-standardized application that considers the heterogeneity of scientific fields and the risks of inadequate or reductionist uses of indicators.