Brazilian science through the looking glass: a scientometric perspective from within and beyond

Citation analysis has emerged as a key area in scientometrics. However, the global movement toward open science, alongside the pervasive "publish or perish" culture, underscores the need to reevaluate the paradigm of citations as a measure of impact and quality. Brazil, a top 15 producer of scientific articles, has established the Lattes Platform, a comprehensive resource data on virtually active researchers in the country. Herein, the Brazilian scientific landscape was analyzed by integrating a widely used global ranking based on large-scale citation metrics with individual-level data from the Lattes Platform. The analysis assessed the impact, distribution, and disparities of Brazilian science across disciplines, geographic regions, and institutional affiliations from 2019-2023. Results showed that Brazilian researchers account for approximately 0.43% of the world's most cited scientists, a significant underrepresentation relative to Brazil's population share and scientific potential. Most highly cited scientists are concentrated in three states within the Southeast region, reflecting longstanding economic and infrastructural advantages. The majority of top Brazilian scientists work in Life Sciences, with particular representation in the subfields Zoology, Tropical Medicine, and Mycology & Parasitology. While Brazil's scientific output compares favorably with other South American and African countries, it remains behind nations with higher gross domestic products per capita and Human Development Index. Nonetheless, 73% of the most cited researchers receive national Research Productivity Grants, indicating a positive correlation between citation and qualified scientific excellence. These findings offer a deeper understanding of Brazilian scientific production from a citation perspective and advocate for strategic policy shifts.