Who navigates the “elite” of communication journals? The participation of BRICS universities in top-ranked publications

Abstract Purpose Despite the increasing volume of research addressing the relevance of de-Westernizing Media Studies, we lack a comparative evaluation of the performance of Global South universities regarding their presence in the most prestigious domains within the field of Communication. Against this background, the article explores if and to what extent the publication of articles authored by BRICS-based scholars in top-ranked journals is restricted to a handful of academic institutions – making them a national “elite” authorized to engage in the mainstream intellectual debate. Design/methodology/approach We pose three questions: RQ1) To what extent is the academic output of BRICS countries in the field of Communication concentrated within a select few “top-level” institutions? RQ2) How are the research articles from the most productive universities distributed across the journal rankings comprising the SJR database? RQ3) What partnerships do institutions from BRICS countries engage in when producing research articles? Using data from the SciVal (Elsevier) and SJR (SCImago Journal Rank) platforms, the empirical study encompasses a set of articles published between 2012 and 2021. Findings Our findings reveal that South Africa, Russia, and Brazil had the highest concentration of academic production within a select few universities. The disparities among the most and least productive universities can be attributed to a lack of ambitious policies in terms of academic innovation. The contrast becomes more evident when we consider China’s performance – which has implemented a range of strategies to foster international partnerships with Western academic communities. Practical implications/social implications We contend that the demand for “de-Westernization” must go beyond a mere plea for increased numerical representation. The exclusion of perspectives or phenomena from developing regions hinders the progress of knowledge production itself. Once Social and Human Sciences traditionally occupy a peripheral position in terms of funding, it is as if Communication researchers based in the Global South were part of a “periphery of the periphery.” Originality/value The paper is relevant for enabling us to discuss Global South universities’ international insertion and the dynamics influencing the academic contributions of semi-peripheral communities. We also consider to what extent the SciVal and SJR metrics reinforce an academic rationale that upholds the mechanisms of neoliberal globalization and the standardization of the scholarly agenda.