Geração de conhecimento e pesquisa na área de humanidades no Brasil no período recente: o que indicadores tradicionais de CT&I mostram

The contribution of “Humanities” to the generation of value and wealth has been questioned by successive governments and policy makers, who normally use traditional ST&I indicators. In the present study, we use data from the Directory of Research Groups, (Censuses 2014 and 2016), with the objective of empirically demonstrating a participation and contribution of “Humanities” in the generation of knowledge in Brazil. Using the existing indicators, we demonstrate that the training of highly qualified human resources is significant in “Humanities” and that this is statistically superior to the other “Scientific Schools”. Still, some peculiar characteristics of “Humanities” demonstrate their relevance both in the interaction (with peers) and in the interaction with society actors. It is noteworthy, however, that the existing indicators do not capture the full potential of “Humanities” to contribute to economic and social development, being broader than measured.