Scientific collaborations within a university: From the viewpoint of complex networks

Abstract

While the topological features of scientific collaboration networks have been well explored in literature, the mechanisms by which the researchers are assembled remain not very clear. Here, by a 6-year publication data of the Shaanxi Normal University (SNNU), we construct the collaboration network and, combining with the additional information of the research staffs obtained through survey and interviews (including department affiliation, research direction, seniority, acquaintanceship, etc), investigate the key factors that promote scientific collaborations. It is found that, although of a relatively small size, the constructed network possesses still the general features of large-scale complex networks, including the community structures, the heterogenous degree and weight distributions, the preferential attachment of the new links, etc. In exploring the assembly mechanisms of the collaboration patterns, it is further revealed that among the many factors influencing scientific collaborations, the closeness of the research directions has a clear advantage over the others. The findings provide insights into the formation of the collaboration patterns within universities, and might helpful to the network modeling and research management in practice.