The emerging political economy of global science is a significant factor influencing economic, social and cultural development, building national systems of innovation, and the rise of new multinational corporate, private/public and community involvement. It is only since the 1960s with the development of research evaluation and increasing sophistication of bibliometrics and webometrics that it has been possible to map this emerging economy of global science on a comparative national and continental basis.  The question of the political economy of world science and its geographic distribution cannot be easily separated from its measurement and evaluation or the pattern of journal ownership.

The emerging political economy of global science is a significant factor influencing economic, social and cultural development, building national systems of innovation, and the rise of new multinational corporate, private/public and community involvement. It is only since the 1960s with the development of research evaluation and increasing sophistication of bibliometrics that it has been possible to map this emerging economy of global science on a comparative national and continental basis.