The association between mathematics-related academic programs and research performance in Peruvian universities (2019–2024)

Abstract

This study examines research output in mathematics across licensed Peruvian universities using a bibliometric approach based on Scopus and SciVal data for the period 2019–2024. The objective was to analyze institutional differences in research productivity and citation impact, with particular emphasis on the presence of formal mathematics-related academic programs. Four bibliometric indicators were considered: scholarly output, total citations, citations per publication, and field-weighted citation impact. The analysis included 80 universities with measurable production in the mathematics subject area, and non-parametric statistical methods were applied due to the highly skewed distribution of the indicators. The results show a strong concentration of scholarly output in a limited number of institutions. Statistically significant differences in productivity were identified between universities with and without academic programs in mathematics and statistics, indicating that the existence of specialized programs is associated with higher research output. In contrast, no significant differences were observed for citation-based indicators, suggesting that increased productivity does not necessarily translate into greater citation impact. These findings underscore the role of institutional organization in shaping mathematical research productivity and highlight the need for contextualized interpretation of bibliometric indicators.