Unpacking the dynamics of international research collaboration network: Structural effects and dyadic effects

Abstract

International collaboration accelerates the diffusion of knowledge in the world, leading to the rise of research network. Nations are embedded in the network, and research collaboration among nations is inevitably influenced by network structure itself. However, the endogenous mechanisms of international research collaboration network have received scant attention. Using co-authorship data across countries for the period 2000–2020, this paper first examines the statistical and topological characteristics of collaboration network. Drawing on recent network dynamics literature, we propose a theoretical framework to understand the network evolution and apply stochastic actor-oriented model in empirical tests. Results indicate that the collaboration network tend to be increasingly cohesive over time and present the coexistence of “hub-and-spoke” and triangulated structure. Our findings indicate the endogenous structural properties play a decisive role in the evolution of international research collaboration networks. The relative importance of the structural effects increased from about 40 % in 2000 to 54 % in 2020. In particular, as international research collaboration networks evolve over time, the influence of both structural effects, triadic closure and preferential attachment, has elevated, suggesting that these two structural network effects mutually reinforce each other and work together to shape the evolution of the network. In terms of dyadic effects, geographic proximity, cognitive proximity and talent mobility are positively and significantly associated with the probability of network tie creation and maintenance. However, the role of dyadic effects such as geographic proximity and cognitive proximity has declined in the evolution of international research collaboration networks. This paper enriches the research of international research collaboration network dynamics and asks for more attention to the endogenous structural effects.