Science diplomacy and the history of sciences : theoretical and methodological reflections

Abstract

This paper aims to present initial theoretical and methodological reflections on the uses of the concept of science diplomacy in the history of sciences field, whose results have been promising. In the first section, it presents the main definitions and problematisation of the concept of science diplomacy, a term recently created in the vocabulary of international relations, but an ancient practice from both the diplomatic and the scientific fields. Then, it presents the uses of this concept in the historiography of sciences, by commenting on the literature published between 2020 and 2021 in international relations, contemporary history, and history of sciences journals. The third part presents some comments on research experiences in the history of science diplomacy in Brazil, aiming to be helpful in the elaboration of future research dedicated to analysing the relationships between science and diplomacy from a historical perspective. Also, it presents suggestions on which archives could be visited, the documentary typology to be collected, the modes of analysing the sources, and the care to be taken in the stage of writing the historical narrative.