Entomological research status and perspective in the Caribbean Basin

Abstract

The Caribbean Basin provides ample opportunity for entomological research. This study used literature reviews, metadata analysis and a survey to understand the dynamics and characteristics of published entomological research in the region. A literature review of the last 10 years of Caribbean entomological research demonstrated the influence of external funds and scientists, with most published research being done in collaboration with scientists outside of the Caribbean. Using metadata analysis from country-specific searches, it was possible to deduce research themes for each country, and while there were a lot of similarities such as work on mosquito-borne diseases, there were also differences. In terms of key areas of research, those relating to biological systematics and pest control were the most important. Agricultural entomology research was limited to only 17% of the articles. A 100-year review of Puerto Rican entomology research corroborated the relative decline in published agricultural entomology research. Agriculture and agricultural research remain important in the region but limited amounts of agricultural entomology research are being published in scientific journals. Reasons for this are given and the opportunities of alternative dissemination mechanisms such as ResearchGate and Google Scholar are discussed.