Platforms, Metrics, and Fragmentation: The Neoliberal Regime of Science in the Post-Pandemic Context

Abstract

Abstract In this text, we examine how neoliberalism and digitalization have transformed science in the post-pandemic context. We argue that a 'neoliberal regime of science' has emerged that transforms researchers into 'self-entrepreneurs,' constantly monitoring individual metrics such as h-index and impact factors, abandoning the communal character of research. The platformization of science, reinforced by the 'open science' movement, paradoxically contributes to epistemic fragmentation and the intensification of preprint publication, undermining the traditional order of peer-reviewed scientific communication. The growing use of altmetrics and automated systems subordinates the evaluation of knowledge to the imperatives of the digital market, aggravating global inequalities by favoring hegemonic centers and rendering the science of the Global South invisible. We conclude that the democratization of science cannot be reduced to the technical openness of data, but requires broad reflection on models of scientific development through genuinely democratic mechanisms.