Epistemological approach to bibliometric analysis

The present article proposes an epistemological approach to bibliometrics, understood not only as a set of quantitative techniques to measure scientific production, but also as a practice loaded with ontological, political and social assumptions that shape the field of knowledge. Through an analytical-interpretative approach, the paradigms that have underpinned its development are critically reviewed, from the positivist and functionalist tradition to constructivist and critical perspectives. The study argues that bibliometrics operates as an evaluation technology that not only reflects science, but also shapes it, establishing normative criteria that condition the production, circulation and legitimization of knowledge. In view of its epistemic limitations and its role in the reproduction of cognitive inequalities, we propose a re-reading from a constructivist-critical paradigm, capable of integrating ethical, contextual and pluralistic dimensions in the evaluation of scientific knowledge. This reflection seeks to contribute to a more just, situated and socially relevant model of science.