Academic social networks and collaboration patterns
ISSN: 0737-8831
Article publication date: 2 January 2020
Issue publication date: 11 June 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This study attempts to use a new source of data collection from open government data sets to identify potential academic social networks (ASNs) and defines their collaboration patterns. The purpose of this paper is to propose a direction that may advance our current understanding on how or why ASNs are formed or motivated and influence their research collaboration.
Design/methodology/approach
This study first reviews the open data sets in Taiwan, which is ranked as the first state in Global Open Data Index published by Open Knowledge Foundation to select the data sets that expose the government’s R&D activities. Then, based on the theory review of research collaboration, potential ASNs in those data sets are identified and are further generalized as various collaboration patterns. A research collaboration framework is used to present these patterns.
Findings
Project-based social networks, learning-based social networks and institution-based social networks are identified and linked to various collaboration patterns. Their collaboration mechanisms, e.g., team composition, motivation, relationship, measurement, and benefit-cost, are also discussed and compared.
Originality/value
In traditional, ASNs have usually been known as co-authorship networks or co-inventorship networks due to the limitation of data collection. This study first identifies some ASNs that may be formed before co-authorship networks or co-inventorship networks are formally built-up, and may influence the outcomes of research collaborations. These information allow researchers to deeply dive into the structure of ASNs and resolve collaboration mechanisms.
Keywords
Citation
Chen, P.-Y. (2020), "Academic social networks and collaboration patterns", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 293-307. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-01-2019-0026
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited