International Co-authorship Research Articles

Bibliometric analysis of nicotine research in China during the period of 1991 to 2007

With the widespread exposure of people to nicotine through recreational use of tobacco products, research into nicotine has attracted increasing attention. Tobacco smoking is by far the most important cause of lung cancer. As the world’s largest producer and consumer of tobacco products, China bears a large proportion of the global burden of smoking-related disease; therefore, information on nicotine publications should be collected to formulate future research policy. In the present study, we investigated nicotine-related research articles published by Chinese authors that were indexed in the Science Citation Index (SCI) from 1991 to 2007. An indicator “citations per publication” (CPP) was used in the study to evaluate the impact of journals, articles, and institutes. The quantity of publications has increased at a quicker pace than the worldwide trend. Article visibility, measured as the frequency of being cited, also increased during the period. However, the overall quality of articles, based on the impact factor of journals publishing those articles, dropped behind the worldwide average level. There has been an increase in international collaboration, mainly with researchers in the USA. The average CPP of international co-authorship articles was higher than that of single country publications. Besides the USA, nicotine research in China will benefit from more collaboration with Taiwan, England, and Germany. Some 110 of 264 articles were published by a single institute, and the top six institutes were compared from various angles. Seventy-two subject categories were covered, and trends (in terms of both quantity and quality) of nicotine research in China were compared with worldwide trends. In addition, analysis of keywords in both nicotine and lung cancer research fields was applied to indicate research interests. Mutual cooperation among multiple disciplines needs further strengthening.

Outcomes associated with ophthalmology, optometry and visual science literature in the Science Citation Index from mainland China, 2000–2007

Bibliographic data on ophthalmology, optometry and visual science (OOVS) literature of China drawn from the SCI-Expanded database covering the period 2000–2007 (961 publications) were analyzed to create a comprehensive overview of research output. Of 961 articles, 480 were published in 2006 and 2007. The majority of researchers worked in university hospitals (53%). 21% of the publications included one or more international co-authors. For each article, the average author number was 4.96±2.73, which increased from 3.96 in 2000 to 5.36 in 2007. The most cited references came from Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science and Ophthalmology. The greatest number of studies was focused on the retina.

Multi-authorship and its impact on the visibility of research from Puerto Rico

The impact of the existence and nature of multi-authorship on the visibility of research results is a relevant issue in the framework of the monitoring and evaluation of scientific performance. Multi-authorship involving researchers from different institutions is a growing trend typical of today’s social, economic and political development and an expression of the so-called “internationalization of science”. This paper analyzes how the establishment of scientific relationships and the local or international nature of such relationships affect the visibility of the research results published by the community of researchers affiliated with Puerto Rican institutions. Multi-dimensional indicators and multivariate analysis techniques, specifically Factorial Correspondence Analysis (FCA), were used to analyze and represent the visibility of the papers published in mainstream scientific journals. The results of the study show that the establishment and furtherance of local and international co-authorship favour the visibility of the papers published and consequently can be regarded to be a valid strategy in the context of the research and development effort in Puerto Rico.

National and international dimensions of the Triple Helix in Japan: University–industry–government versus international coauthorship relations

AbstractInternational co‐authorship relations and university–industry–government (Triple Helix) relations have hitherto been studied separately. Using Japanese publication data for the 1981–2004 period, we were able to study both kinds of relations in a single design. In the Japanese file, 1,277,030 articles with at least one Japanese address were attributed to the three sectors, and we know additionally whether these papers were coauthored internationally. Using the mutual information in three and four dimensions, respectively, we show that the Japanese Triple‐Helix system has been continuously eroded at the national level. However, since the mid‐1990s, international coauthorship relations have contributed to a reduction of the uncertainty at the national level. In other words, the national publication system of Japan has developed a capacity to retain surplus value generated internationally. In a final section, we compare these results with an analysis based on similar data for Canada. A relative uncoupling of national university–industry–government relations because of international collaborations is indicated in both countries.

Incremental citation impact due to international co-authorship in Hungarian higher education institutions

International co-authorship is generally thought and often found to have positive effects on the citation rate of scientific publications. We study the effect quantitatively in the example of four major and four medium Hungarian universities. The conclusions may be generalized to other countries of similar international status.

The uneven spread of global science: patterns of international collaboration in global environmental change research

This paper presents data on publication and collaboration patterns of USA and German research institutions in the field of global environmental change research. A dataset derived from the Web of Science showed that a marked rise in international co-authorship occured in the period 1993–2002. However, this increase covered different world regions unevenly. Building on interview data, four factors driving international collaboration in this particular research area are identified which help to explain this specific trend. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

Bibliometric analysis of English-language academic journals of China and their internationalization

The internationalization of ten of China’s English-language scientific journals is analyzed based on their Impact Factor, Total Citation, JCR list rank, international paper proportion and international citation proportion. Six of these journals were financed three times by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSF) between 2001–2006 and four journals maintained a higher impact factor (>1.0) in 2003–2005. The data show that though the total trend of Impact Factor and Total Citation keeps rising, their subject rank has shown a slight decrease. Moreover, the proportion of international papers and international citations do not match their JCR rank and IF: high rank journals have a low proportion of international papers (Chinese Phys Lett, Chinese Phys) and low rank journals have a high Impact Factor (Cell Res, Asian J Androl). This inconsistency may result from their insufficient internationalization either in international paper proportion (less than 20%) or in the amount of high-quality manuscripts, probably caused by their local journal title, circulation and low IF. Suggested means of improving internationalization include encouraging Chinese scientists to cite more home journals when they publish their papers in foreign journals; soliciting the submission of international co-authorships based on the unavailability of pure foreign authorship; cooperating with internationally recognized publishers to utilize their globalization platform; employing overseas scientists to recruit international papers; improving writing style and content, to enable greater accessibility to worldwide readers.

An exploratory study of the feature of Iranian co-authorships in biology, chemistry and physics

This paper investigates factors behind co-authorships between scientists in Iran and elsewhere. It also compares the Iranian pattern of collaboration with other countries. A questionnaire was sent out to Iranian scientists in fields of physics, chemistry, and biology who had published an internationally co-authored journal article during 2003. The results show that not all co-authored articles were the result of a collaborative project. Also, the main collaborative motives behind the co-authorships were identified and described. Among these, we could mention sharing laboratory devices, accessing knowledge, and increased efficiency of the study at hand. It is clear that emigrated Iranian scientists play an important role as collaborators and probably also as links to the international scientific community as a whole. Cultural factors mix with scientific and work related ones. Although the proportion of international co-authorships is lower than in most other countries, the collaborative pattern seems rather similar.

Publishing in international journals

This paper examines patterns of Chinese authorship, focusing particularly on international co-authorship, in a sample of 37,526 articles from Elsevier journals published in 2004. Trends relating to potential influences such as subject, journal impact factor and article type are explored. A slightly higher proportion of articles with at least one Chinese author was observed as compared to previous studies. Articles that are a product of Chinese international collaboration account for almost 20% of the Chinese sample as a whole, a similar proportion to levels of international collaboration within the sample overall. Chinese international co-authorship is most common in the Earth & Environmental Sciences. Where China is involved in international collaboration, it is often a proactive participant: 49% of articles that are a result of Chinese international collaboration have a Chinese corresponding author. With some minor variations in subject categories, countries favoured in international co-authorship reflect world shares in publishing and factors such as geographical proximity and political links.

International Co-authorship in Academic Journals

International Co-authorship in Academic Journals

Science in Brazil. Part 1: A macro-level comparative study

In the present paper, the evolution of publication activity and citation impact in Brazil is studied for the period 1991-2003. Besides the analysis of trends in publication and citation patterns and of national publication profiles, an attempt is made to find statistical evidences of the relation between international co-authorship and both research profile and citation impact in the Latin American region. Despite similarities and strong co-publication links with the other countries in the region, Brazil has nonetheless a specific research profile, and forms the largest potential in the region.

The CSCL community in its first decade: development, continuity, connectivity

Ten years of international CSCL conferences (1995–2005) provide an occasion to reflect on the formation of the CSCL community. Based on quantitative analysis of conference proceedings, lists of participants and program committee members, and on qualitative study of policies and motives, this paper offers insights into the growth of the CSCL community in its first decade. The analysis focuses on participation at different levels of the community. In particular, focus is on the continuity of active and passive membership, the geographical distribution, and the international connectivity of the community. Contrary to expectations, only a relatively small number of people have participated continuously in the community. Concerning the geographical distribution, we found that the community is increasingly international in conference participation, authors, and program committees. The international connectivity of the community is also increasing, which can be seen in a growing number of citations and co-authorships across different countries. In order to interpret the results of our quantitative study, we conducted a qualitative, e-mail-based survey. In this survey we wanted to elaborate the policy of the conference organization, the reasons for international co-authorships and the motivations for participation in CSCL conferences. We contacted 84 members of different target groups (organizers, members of international co-authorships, and randomly selected participants on different levels of participation). The findings are suggestive for the further development of the CSCL community.

Domesticity and internationality in co-authorship, references and citations

As a first element of a macro-level country-by-country cross-reference and cross-citation analysis, domestic/international character of reference and citation behavior of 36 countries is studied and compared with international co-authorship patterns. Indicators of reference and citation domesticity as well as reference-citation domesticity balance are constructed and presented. Science policy relevance of these indicators is discussed and examples deserving science policy attention are pinpointed.

Network structure, self-organization, and the growth of international collaboration in science

Different approaches have been used to analyse international collaboration in science but none can fully explain its rapid growth. Using international co-authorships, we test the hypothesis that international collaboration is a self-organising network. Applying tools from network analysis, the paper shows that the growth of international co-authorships can be explained based on the organising principle of preferential attachment, although the attachment mechanism deviates from an ideal power-law. Several explanations for the deviation are explored, including that of the influence of institutional constraints on the mechanism of self-organisation.

Mapping the network of global science: comparing international co-authorships from 1990 to 2000

Science and technology has been shown to result from dynamic interactions occurring at many levels and across various sectors. This study maps and analyses the network operating at the global level. Using the Science Citation Index (CD-Rom version) for 1990 and 2000, the networks created by international co-authorships are revealed. We analyse the observed linkages at the global level and on regional bases. The architecture of the network is further explored using statistical methods and factor analysis to reveal intense relationships as well as the core members of a global network. Findings show that, in the ten years between 1990 and 2000, the global network has expanded to include more nations, but the structure of this network has become more pronounced. Regional networks show emerging hubs. However, in some cases, the regions have been disconnected from the global level. A core set of advanced industrial nations has expanded from six in 1990 to eight in 2000. Factor analysis suggests that various large countries compete with each other for partners in the global network.

Likelihood of inbound/outbound access to co-authorship

We shall generalize the concept of our previous paper (Shirabe & Tomizawa, 2002), which proposed an index for international scientific co-authorship. Based on a simple model of domestic and international co-authorships, we focused on likelihood of overseas access to co-authorships in the paper. Here, in consideration of bidirectionality of international co-authorship, we shall extend our previous index to two symmetrical indices. The indices can draw a reasonably clear picture of international co-authorship, with regard to difference in patterns of international co-authorship among countries.

Likelihood of overseas access to international co-authorships

This paper is proposing a new index for international scientific co-authorship, which is based on a simple model of domestic and international co-authorships. The index draws a modestly different picture of international collaboration, concerning a country"s size effect on the likelihood of internationally co-authored papers.

Double effort = Double impact? A critical view at international co-authorship in chemistry

An attempt is made to find statistical evidences of the relation between international co-authorship and citation impact. It was found that international co-authorship, in average, results inpublications with higher citation rates than purely domestic papers. No correlation has beenfound, however, between the strength of co-authorship links and the relative citation eminence ofthe resulting publications. International co-authorship links in chemistry, as represented by thewell-known Salton's measure, displayed a characteristic pattern reflecting geopolitical, historical,linguistic, etc. relations among countries. A new indicator, representing also the asymmetry ofco-authorship links was used to reveal main "attractive" and "repulsive" centres of co-operation.

National characteristics in international scientific co-authorship relations

The main objective of this study is the elaboration of national characteristics in international scientific co-authorship relations. An attempt is made to find statistical evidence of symmetry and asymmetry in co-publication links, of the relation between international co-authorship and both national research profiles and citation impact. Four basic types can be distinguished in the relative specialisation of domestic and internationally co-authored publications of 50 most active countries in 1995/96 concerning the significance of the difference between the two profiles. Co-publication maps reveal structural changes in international co-authorship links in the last decade. Besides stable links and coherent clusters, new nodes and links have also been found. Not all links between individual countries are symmetric. Specific (unidirectional) co-authorship affinity could also be detected in several countries. As expected, international co-authorship, on an average, results in publications with higher citation rates than purely domestic papers. However, the influence of international collaboration on the national citation impact varies considerably between the countries (and within one individual country between fields). In some cases there is, however, no citation advantage for one or even for both partners.

Brazilian immunology: One hundred years later

Brazilian immunology dates from the end of the 19th century. The aim of the present paperwas to analyze the impact of this field in contemporary Brazilian biomedical research. For this, a15 years period (1981-1995) was studied. Production of immunological articles in Brazilrepresented in 1995 a percentage of 8.66 of total papers in biomedical sciences in this country.This level was achieved by an exponential increase in 1991 in the number of papers inimmunology followed by a steady increase in the subsequent years. This growth was onlyobserved in articles published in international immunology journals listed by ISI, a similarincrease did not occur when the most representative Brazilian journal in biomedical sciences wasanalyzed. The production in immunology in the last five years (1991-1995) represented 60.69% oftotal articles in this field published in the whole 15 years period. When quality was assessed basedon impact factor of the journals were the articles appeared, 52.71% of total immunology papershad been published in journals with impact factors varying between 7.29 and 3.24. A higherdegree of international co-authorship was seen both in articles published in international journalsand presentations at international congresses compared to national ones. The main countriescollaborating with Brazil were: EUA, England and France. Within Brazil, immunology researchwas not equally distributed. Around 80% of the articles were produced by four states (Sao Paulo,Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Bahia), Sao Paulo being responsible for more than half of thosearticles. This geographic distribution closely resembles the distribution of the Brazilian Society ofImmunology (SBI) membership. The main field of study throughout the period wasimmunoparasitology.