Research on Biodiesel in the National Institute of Science and Technology for Energy and Environment: An Analysis through Scientometry, and Complex and Social Networks

Abstract

The National Institute of Science and Technology for Energy and Environment (INCT E&A) is a virtual network of scientific-institutional cooperation focused on research for energy sustainable use and environmental preservation. This article aimed to identify production and articulations of researchers affiliated to INCT E&A in biodiesel research in the period from 2009 to 2020, based on scientometric, and social and complex network analysis. Altogether 76 articles involving biodiesel theme were analysed and a network of 212 authors from 48 institutions with a high level of collaboration was identified. Network topological properties were calculated, making it possible to find central researchers and affirm that it presents the small world phenomenon. It was also possible to observe that scientific production by the researchers occurred especially between the years 2009 and 2014. After this period, biodiesel theme stopped attracting INCT E&A researcher’s attention, demobilizing a network at a moment when Brazil chose biofuels as a decarbonizing strategy for transport matrix through the National Biofuels Policy (RenovaBio).