INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORIES AS INFRASTRUCTURES FOR THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS FROM AN STS PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the contribution of institutional repositories to the democratization of scientific knowledge by examining, from the perspective of Science, Technology, and Society (STS), how these platforms promote broader access to scientific information, enhance the circulation of scientific knowledge, and strengthen the relationship between academic production and society. To this end, a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study was conducted based on a narrative literature review. The findings showed that institutional repositories go beyond their role as digital storage systems, functioning as socio-technical infrastructures that contribute to the organization, preservation, dissemination, and enhancement of scientific production. The results also indicate that these platforms strengthen open access policies, increase the visibility of research, and promote the democratization of knowledge, although challenges related to inequalities in access, digital inclusion, language barriers, and asymmetries in international scientific communication remain. From the STS perspective, institutional repositories were found to play a strategic role in bringing science and society closer together by promoting greater transparency in the circulation of scientific information and expanding opportunities for social participation in the processes of knowledge production, access, and use. It is concluded that institutional repositories represent important instruments for strengthening open science, scientific communication, and the democratization of knowledge, whose effectiveness depends on the articulation between technological infrastructure, institutional policies, and initiatives aimed at fostering inclusion and social participation.