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Studies of national research performance: A case of ‘methodological nationalism’ and ‘zombie science’?

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  • Mads P. Sørensen
  • Jesper Wiborg Schneider

Abstract

The analytical point of departure in this paper is the ongoing debate, initiated by Ulrich Beck, on methodological nationalism within the social sciences. Based on a comprehensive study of research collaboration and mobility of researchers this paper discusses possible traces of methodological nationalism in comparative studies of research performance. These studies are often carried out as country comparisons with no or little focus on the growing transnationality of what is measured. However, research is a transnational activity and must be understood as such. Researchers increasingly collaborate with researchers in other countries. The national research institutions are increasingly transnationalised due to the growing mobility of researchers. Based on an examination of all the papers registered in the Thompson Reuter’s Web of Science database we follow the development in research collaboration in the period 1980–2014 for 17 leading research countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Mads P. Sørensen & Jesper Wiborg Schneider, 2017. "Studies of national research performance: A case of ‘methodological nationalism’ and ‘zombie science’?," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 44(1), pages 132-145.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:scippl:v:44:y:2017:i:1:p:132-145.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/scipol/scw043
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fernandez-Zubieta, Ana & Geuna, Aldo & Lawson, Cornelia, 2015. "What do We Know of the Mobility of Research Scientists and of its Impact on Scientific Production," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201522, University of Turin.
    2. Hagen, Nils T., 2015. "Contributory inequality alters assessment of academic output gap between comparable countries," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 629-641.
    3. Chiara Franzoni & Giuseppe Scellato & Paula Stephan, 2012. "Foreign Born Scientists: Mobility Patterns for Sixteen Countries," NBER Working Papers 18067, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Georghiou, Luke, 1998. "Global cooperation in research," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 611-626, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bornmann, Lutz & Adams, Jonathan & Leydesdorff, Loet, 2018. "The negative effects of citing with a national orientation in terms of recognition: National and international citations in natural-sciences papers from Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 931-949.

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