The scientific literature on innovation: Analysis of SciELO database in the period 2005-2012

Abstract

This article reviewed the scientific literature on innovation recorded and made available in the basis SciELO for the period 2005-2012. The government speeches of recent years have highlighted the need for innovation as a path for industry growth and for national competitiveness. Initiatives such as the implementation of the Technological Innovation Survey, whose first edition took place in 2000, the recognition of the Center for Management and Strategic Studies under the Ministry of Science, Technology and more recently including Innovation as a locus of reflection and guidance for national technology strategy in 2002, the creation of the FINEP innovation Award, among many other initiatives provide a picture of the importance of this research in our times. Being the scientific area a diffuser of new knowledge and SciELO a base of qualified and multidisciplinary data, this article takes SciELO as a reference to examine the characteristics of published studies related to innovation. Thus, it is a qualitative, documentary research, with the delineation of a bibliometric study. The survey results identified 213 journals with 604 publications that include the term “innovation” among the keywords. Research findings indicates that the areas which a wider approach in Innovation are respectively: Innovation in Medicine and Health, 33%; Innovation in Administration, Accounting and Economics, 30%; areas focused on overall innovation, 20%; Innovation in Technology and Products Development, 13%, studies on innovation in other areas, 4%. The results of this research contribute to increase the knowledge about the literature generated, to examine the diffusion of concepts and to establish a route by which the subject “innovation” travels in different areas of knowledge.

Keywords: innovation, bibliometric research, scientific production.