EDITORIAL

Abstract

At the present moment, marked by intense electoral debates in our country, we observe a strong presence of STS discussions related to issues such as technological sovereignty, energy transition, climate crisis, and transformations in the world of work. It is not possible to understand Brazil’s position—and, more broadly, Latin America’s—in today’s world without incorporating the agendas and controversies analyzed within the STS field. Inequalities in access to innovation and the concentration of power in large digital platforms highlight the persistence of historical structures of inequality and hierarchies in the global system.

In Brazil, knowledge production in this field has, since its origins, been marked by the defense of the inseparability between social problems and national strategies for fostering scientific production and technological advancement. Within the evaluation processes of graduate programs carried out by CAPES, there is a growing need to consider the social impact of scientific activities, which is also a key concern in STS studies.

In this context, in June of this year, the XVI ESOCITE Conference of the Latin American Association will take place in Bogotá, Colombia, promising to further strengthen STS Studies on the continent. We believe that, in such a context, the Brazilian Journal of STS Studies has an important intellectual and political role to play: to disseminate research and reflections in an area that is increasingly strategic for the political projects under dispute in the country.

Continuing the activities initiated in 2025 and presented at the Belém event, we present here the second issue of the Brazilian Journal of STS Studies. Since its launch, the journal has already achieved important milestones. Our indexing was approved in Miguilim and Diadorim, both from IBICT, at the end of last year with Diamond classification. More recently, we were also accepted into LATINDEX, an important Latin American indexing system.

While in the first issue we published articles by invited authors, in the current issue we inaugurated a workflow of articles submitted and evaluated by our reviewers under the double-blind system. We consider the number and quality of the submitted material to be highly satisfactory. It was possible to adjust our processes of submission and evaluation in a coherent way, attentive to the journal’s periodicity. This is, of course, an ongoing process of learning and refinement, and the editorial team has been committed to this effort. We would like to express our deep gratitude to the researchers who dedicated their time to reviewing submissions. Without this work, it would be impossible to ensure the scientific robustness of our journal and our field.

This issue features 7 articles, authored by researchers from different regions of Brazil and addressing diverse themes within the STS field. Fabrício Neves (UnB/Brasília) presents an analysis of international scientific collaboration among research and innovation groups in the energy sector in our continent. Gerson Camargo and Wanda Aparecida Machado Hoffmann (UFSCar/SP) examine the social and scientific implications of integrating drones and artificial intelligence. Lígia Amoroso Galbiati (Unicamp/SP) discusses the energy transition in isolated communities and the role of public policies and social arrangements in energy infrastructures. Adriana Alves Rodrigues and Cidoval Sousa (UEPB/PB) explore digital strategies for science communication in university extension activities, based on the case of UEPB. Ednéia Silva Santos Rocha (USP/SP) and Cristina de Campos (Unicamp/SP) analyze scientific philanthropy funded in Brazil by the Rockefeller Foundation. Gabriel Coelho and Jalcione Almeida (UFRGS/RS) discuss how environmental issues have become scientifically relevant within Brazilian graduate programs, especially in interdisciplinary contexts. Sebastião Rodrigues-Moura, Ana Cristina Pimentel Carneiro de Almeida, and Leomir Lorenzetti (UFPA/PA) present a dense reflection on the relationship between creative critical thinking and STS education in science teaching, an increasingly relevant area in the field.

In sum, all five regions of the country are represented, contributing diverse themes and presenting the STS field as a strategic space for constructing a critical understanding of reality. We aim to maintain this regional and thematic diversity while also advancing toward publishing international authors. This will only be possible with the participation of all those who believe in the importance of the STS field.

Finally, we would like to express our gratitude. Fernando Camargo, as Executive Editor, and Igor Bento, as Managing Editor, worked extensively to make this issue possible, and we are deeply indebted to them.
We also thank the editorial board—Júlia Guivant, Flora Rodrigues Gonçalves, and Adriano Premebida.
We extend our gratitude to the leadership of ESOCITE.BR, which has provided full support and autonomy for the advancement of the journal.

And we move forward together in this STS journey. Enjoy your reading!

Daniela Alves
Thales Haddad Novaes de Andrade
Editors-in-Chief