Following the Trail of Words: Mapping the Trending Topics of Graduate Research in the Brazilian IR Scholarship (1987-2018)

Abstract

This paper advances our understanding of the Brazilian IR scholarship by exploring the topics addressed and the geographic scope adopted by its authors, tracing their evolution over time. We utilize data from 2417 master's theses and doctoral dissertations from all IR graduate programs in the country, spanning the years 1987 to 2018. By employing a structural topic model, we identify latent topics present in the abstracts of these documents. This analysis not only allows us to trace a thematic profile of the Brazilian IR scholarship but also provides evidence that the expansion of the Brazilian IR scholarship in the 2000s has led to 01. an increased diversity of topics explored by researchers, and 02. analyses with a broader geographic scope, extending beyond the immediate region. Therefore, as the Brazilian IR scholarship has consolidated, there has been a transition from a policy-oriented approach to a more active involvement in international debates across different subjects and regions.