Social representations of the scientific publication of health teachers from Cali, Colombia

Introduction: The social representation of scientific publication among university professors remains unknown. Objective: To explore the social representation of publication in Scopus-indexed scientific journals among faculty members of health faculties in higher education institutions in Cali, Colombia. Method: Qualitative research about a social representation approach was conducted. Data collection instruments included free word listing and pile sorting. Prototypical, processual analysis, and distance index were performed. Results: Sixty-six faculty members from three higher education institutions in Cali participated, with 47.8% of them not having published in Scopus journals. Predominant categories included manuscript quality (39.1%), work commitments (20.2%), and perceived barriers to publication (16.2%). Two thematic groups were identified: one related to writing difficulty, time, and academic commitments, and another focused on research rigor and quality. Conclusions: Scientific production in Colombia faces significant challenges, such as lack of writing skills, language barriers, and academic pressure. Overcoming these obstacles requires institutional support and the implementation of training programs to enhance researchers' competencies.